What Will You Do Now, Sasuke?
by LifeAndDeathShinobi
Summary: Madara was unable to retrieve Sasuke. Naruto got to him first. Now back at the village, our young Uchiha boy has to settle back down in his home village, regain his Will of Fire, and his reasons for living. But can he do that when Madara still wants him?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello people. You wanna know something? I can't stand it anymore! I read the last updated chapter of Naruto and I can't stand it anymore! I can't keep holding this story back! This or 'Uchiha's Last Survivors: Itachi's Daughter' so you wanna know something? I am gonna unleash these stories and there! Ha! It's going to be my problem that I unleash this story and probably get behind on my other ones and then get bored of this and start a new one because of my feelings but I'm anxious here and I really want to know what you guys think about it. I swear that these two stories are not as bad as you think they may be because of some…**_**unpleasant**_** things but they do get better and I'm also trying to be a Naruto realist.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself! If I did, maybe this story or Itachi's Daughter might replace them or lead the story into more of this direction. Now this is where I'm going to be a Naruto realist and it's going to leave a bad taste in my mouth, on some parts but those parts I will try to keep them a minimum. Just try it and who knows, you might like it. But this story is a brotherly fic and it's one of the many stories I feel greatly inspired about after I read an updated chapter of Naruto. I tried to hold my urges back, but I could not. Please try to understand.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Prologue<p>

It was raining that day.

The clouds gathered together and took on the color of deep grey from the aftermath of one of the greatest Shinobi battles of all time. Thunder roared and lightning light up the sky. It was as if the sky was crying. Their tears fell down to earth, unable to cease the burning _Amaterasu_ flames that burned the forest around the Uchiha hideout. Or at least, what's left of it. Out of the three buildings that stood, one of them has completely collapsed. Or rather, it was completely destroyed by Uchiha Sasuke's powerful _Kirin_ attack. It's all rubble now. Like leftover crumbs from a cornbread meal. At one particular crumb, the family crest of the Uchiha family still stands and one man.

Uchiha Sasuke stands there, his back against the family crest stunned and soaking to the bone. At his feet is a corpse; the corpse of his dead brother, Uchiha Itachi. He lays there, all beaten up with dirt on his clothes and skin and scratches and bruises all over his body. On his right arm, he has several serious burns. Not that it would matter anyway. He's dead, no longer part of the living. He does not need to worry about healing them. Also on his body is blood. Blood stained his burned hand and his mouth. During the battle, he was coughing out blood and it seemed to have worsened the longer the battle raged on. There was also dried blood on his face, under his eyes. Now looking like dark brown tearstains.

Sasuke was in no better condition. He was completely exhausted from battle. He used up all of his chakra and Orochimaru was ripped away from him when he was sucked into another dimension from Itachi's last attack. Still, he stood there. Stunned of what just happened before his brother collapsed on the ground, dead. His brother poked him like how he always did when he was a child. His index finger and middle finger, covered in blood, poked Sasuke's forehead and left a trail of blood from his nose to his cheek to his chin. There was something else too. Itachi did something else before he poked him. But at the moment, Sasuke's mind doesn't even think about that. It only had the thought that Itachi poked him.

Sasuke looks to the side of where his dead brother is and he stares at his corpse. The lightning lighting up his view to have a better look. The rain was starting to rinse them clean and it was starting to clean the blood off of Itachi's fingers. That was the only thing that Sasuke was looking at. The fingers that poked him. Lightning struck one more time and blood rolled down his face from his left eye like a bloody tear. He didn't notice. Everything was numb to him. Lightning struck again and this time, it revealed a gentle grin on Sasuke's face. Then he closed his eyes and he allowed himself to fall to the ground, entering the world of unconsciousness. His task is done. He had completed his life goal and now deserved a long, needed rest.

Shortly after he collapsed next to his brother, something emerges from the burning forest. A toad. A dark red toad with several blue spots on its body hops out of the burning forest. It was hopping for its life from one piece of ruble to the next, moving its way closer and closer to the two Uchihas. When it arrives by their bodies, it stops. It stops hidden from the rain and hidden from sight as it gazes upon the two beaten up bodies.

Then it opens its mouth. A croak would have been expected but instead a hand comes out of its mouth. Not an itsy teeny tiny hand. A full grown man's hand comes out and soon, a whole body does. A man climbs out of the toad's mouth and comes out into the rain to see the Uchiha brothers. When the man's sky blue eyes look upon the spiky hair Uchiha, an excited, relieved, and pleased grin appears on his sun tan face.

"I've finally found you, Sasuke."

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><p>"Who..in the world is he?"<p>

As the Venus Fly trap looking Akatsuki member closes its head and slowly begins to sink its way into the branch of the tree, Tobi raises his arm over his head and says, "Later," before lowering his arm and disappearing as it passes his body. It wasn't long till he had completely vanished, leaving the team into a panic.

Well, all except Naruto.

"We've got to find Sasuke before they do!" Kakashi yells as he kneels down for momentum for when he jumps up to climb a tree. But before he does, he notices that Naruto looks different than from everyone else. "Naruto! What is it?"

Naruto doesn't look at him. He stares at the spot where Tobi once stood before smirking in victory. Seeing this made Sakura lose her temper a bit. "Naruto! What's with you?"

"It's just that guy is not going to reach Sasuke in time."

Hearing this, the team looks at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Kakashi asks.

Instead of an answer, he gets, "We don't have time to talk. I'll explain later!" Then he turns to Hinata. "Hinata, can you take a look at 4 o'clock for me?"

Still confused, Hinata shakily nods at Naruto's request. She activates her Byakugan and looks. "About ten kilometers ahead, I see a powerful chakra spread out across a wide swath…and…for some reason…The forest is on fire…with black flames."

'_The Amaterasu?'_ Kakashi asks, recognizing the description.

Getting his answer, the confident smile on Naruto's face widens. "Good work, Hinata. Now let's go!" Then he starts going off into a sprint, running as fast as he can while leaping from one giant tree branch to another. As confused and stunned as they are, the rest of the team follows after him.

"Hey," Kiba calls, being the first one to speak. "What's up with him? I know that we have to hurry but what's with the absolute confidence he has? It's weird and confusing." It is weird, and that's why Kakashi decides to take a closer look at the Naruto they're following.

"Yeah, I know," Sakura agrees. "What the heck is going on?"

"It's alright, Sakura."

Hearing her sensei, she looks at him and he tells her, "That Naruto up ahead is a shadow clone."

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><p>"You're late."<p>

Sprouting from the rocks, Zetsu appears behind Tobi who is already sitting on top of the piece of the wall that has the Uchiha crest. "I'm not you." White side Zetsu tells the masked shinobi. "I can't shift as fast as you."

Staring down at the two brothers, who are still laying in the same position that Zetsu last saw them in, Tobi gets down to business. "You better have recorded the battle."

"**Relax. I captured the whole thing,"** Zetsu's black side answers.

"Later on, I like to closely review it. We're taking Itachi's corpse, too. We should go now." But then, he notices something. "Hm?"

White Zetsu asks, "What's wrong, Madara?"

The air around Tobi, or Madara, shifts. It went from calm and collected to anger and irritation. His Sharingan eye, the only facial features that can be revealed from the eye hole of his orange swirly mask, narrows and a split second later, two kunai knives shoot out and stab both Itachi and Sasuke in the head. Both sides of Zetsu jerk when they saw Madara do that. Before they could say anything, they hear Madara exclaim in rage.

"Who else was here?" he asks, demanding for an explanation.

"Uh?" white Zetsu breathes out.

Black Zetsu answers, **"No one. We didn't see anyone else enter the battle field."**

"How could they?" the other half asks. "The battle field is completely covered by the flames of the Amaterasu. They would be burned to ash before they could even come here. Why?"

"Because…" Taking the Zetsu's by surprise, both bodies of Itachi and Sasuke turn into a puff of smoke and disappear. "They were not their bodies. They were shadow clones!"

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><p>"I've confirmed by scent! They've already reached Sasuke's location!" Kiba yells, starting to panic. But like before, Naruto appears to be the only one perfectly calm with a mischievous smile still on his face.<p>

"By now, they would be too late," he says. The two combined teams and captains look at Naruto in confusion once again, but then he says, "But it doesn't mean we can slow our pace down. Let's go!" Then he begins to pick up the speed and the others try to catch up before they could fall behind.

Seriously, what the heck is making Naruto all cocky all of a sudden?

As they kept pushing forward, it didn't take long till they reached the black burning forest.

'_So this is the Amaterasu, huh…_' Kakashi thinks, narrowing his eyes at the forest. _'My first look.'_

Seeing the jutsu the first time herself, Sakura asks since she doesn't know, "What is that?"

"It's one of Itachi's jutsu!" Naruto answers.

Thinking fast, Kakashi calls, "Yamato!"

"Yes, sir!" he answers.

Then Naruto yells, "Don't!" Now the team is really surprised and super confused.

"Naruto!" Sakura calls, getting pretty a bit annoyed with him keeping all of them in the dark. "Either tell us what the hell is going on or let Captain Yamato get us through the forest! Do you want that masked guy to take Sasuke from us?"

"It's not that, Sakura-chan!" he yells back. "We already got him."

Yamato asks, "What do you mean, Naruto?"

_Croak_

Hearing the call of the frog, the group looks further up to see the toad once again hooping for his life away from the forest. That's twice that he was able to leave without a scratch. Upon seeing it, the shadow clone Naruto quickly runs up to it and picks it up. "We got him! Let's go!"

What he got for that was an irritated punch in the head from Sakura. "Have you lost your mind? That's not Sasuke! That's some random toad that came out the forest! There's a difference!"

Kakashi's one eye however looks at the toad in suspicion as Naruto's shadow clone is trying not to turn into a puff of smoke and disappear. "Naruto! Tell me, is that Jiraiya-sama's jutsu?"

Now the team looks at him in confusion. "Master Jiraiya-sama's jutsu?" Sakura repeats. Naruto's face lights up from Kakashi's assumption.

"Good eye, Kakashi-sensei. I would love to explain to the rest of you but we got to get out of here now! I have a feeling that the weird mask guy has already figured out that I replaced the real bodies with shadow clones."

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><p><strong>And there we go for the first chapter. I know it's short but this is only the prologue and reading the manga and watching the anime is just banging at my head with ideas. That and I got inspiration from a picture I saw a long time ago. One of Sasuke comforting Naruto when he found out that Jiraiya died. I didn't save the picture and I can't find it anymore, damn. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the prologue and tell me how it went. Also, the next chapter will be updated next week. So long as Naruto gets updated, then so will this story and Itachi's Daughter.<strong>

**Just to let you all know in case you don't, Itachi's Daughter is an ItaSasu fic. Just mostly a future-based fic with Naruto kids running around. Till next time!**


	2. What Will You Do Now?

**A/N: As promised, it's been a week and I got inspired again after reading the latest chapter of Naruto so I am updating this story. I really don't expect this story or my other one to be popular but I'm at least glad that some people like them. I'm just getting a little tired of keeping all of my emotions inside of me every time I read a next chapter of Naruto. Though actually, I bought the latest volume of Naruto and I'm really close to unleashing a new story dedicated to Sasuke's hate. That's not a good thing…**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, I have two chapters to show what I would want to happen or what I would want to happen afterwards just so I could feel better about it. Thank you all to those who have reviewed, even though it's only a little. But hey. All new stories usually start off slow. Thanks and enjoy!**

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><p>Ch. 1: What Will You Do Now?<p>

When Sasuke woke up, it was to the blinding light of the sun leaking in from the outside. His vision was hazy and he couldn't really comprehend what was all around him. His mind was a total blank and all he could see before his eyes is a dark brown ceiling.

'_Where am I?'_ he wonders, staring at the long board pattern.

After his sense of sight had been restored, other senses came back as well. Feel, smell, and hearing. He can feel the wounds on his body ache with pain and the feel of bandages around them as well as well as the soft mattress below him and the softer comforter over his body. He can also hear birds chirping and nature all around him. Finally he can smell the faint scent of the forest and smell of something cooking. Someone must be here but at the time, that wasn't what Sasuke was concerned about.

The Uchiha boy pushes himself up, despite the aching warnings of his body telling him to stop, and he sits there with a scattered mind and observing eyes. With the comforter now resting on his lap, he can see that his chest is bandaged up and clean. Someone not only bandaged him up but also cleaned him from the dirt and sweat of battle.

Battle… the battle between him and his brother…

'_What is this…I'm lacking?'_ he wonders, thinking about the sight of the man who took everything from him dead at his feet. Why does he not feel remorse or even a sense of joy that his life goal, his purpose in life, is fulfilled? Why does he feel so…so…

…empty…

He only had a moment to pounder that question when he senses someone right outside the door of the room he's resting in.

"Here, let me open the door for you since your hands are full."

"I'm fine, Naruto. Why not go back to the others and wait? I'll let you know when Sasuke wakes up."

Naruto and Sakura, his old teammates from Konoha, are right outside the door of his room? What Sasuke usually do was feel a sense of annoyance and suspicion that they're here. He knows that they want to take him back to Konoha when he has no desire to do so and they keep persisting on it. However, with this dead emotion the young Uchiha feels right now, he feels nothing – only acknowledging the fact that those two are here. Even thinking of the possibility that those two are the ones who cleaned him up, patched up his wounds, and is giving him generous hospitality doesn't affect him. He just feels empty.

Then the door opens.

"Asleep, awake; I just wanna see him." But as he keeps talking, Sakura sees Sasuke awake and her eyes and her mouth become wide open with surprise. "And I want to help him get better. Opening a door is simple enough for me to do, right?" Then he notices Sakura's gaping shock face as her hands that are carrying a tray of food shake. "Uh? Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" Finally, he turns his head to look inside and he sees the same thing as she does. Sasuke thought his jaw was going to fall to the ground. "S-Sasuke…?"

And there became silence.

Why are they so silent now that he's awake? Was he supposed to remain unconscious? Or are they so shock that he's awake that they don't know what to say or do? For all he knows, up until a few hours ago or a few days ago, they were hunting him down – desperate to bring him back. Now that they have him, they are at a loss for words? Though it's not like Sasuke is willing to start up conversation with them, he has nothing to say to these people.

After a long silence, someone finally did something besides staring in either gaping surprise or with blank eyes. Naruto closes his mouth and it curls up into a very warm and relieved smile. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Sasuke."

The Uchiha only stares at him, but his unresponsive behavior doesn't seem to bother either of them as Sakura finally snaps out of her trance and approaches him. Naruto follows and both of them sit besides Sasuke's bed as Sakura places the tray of food besides her. "How are you feeling?" she asks. "Does anything still hurt? Or does anything feel uncomfortable at all?"

That's right. She's a medical ninja so she has to ask those questions. Only problem is Sasuke really doesn't feel like answering them. It's not like they're going to understand his answer.

Even if he wanted to answer, Naruto doesn't give him the chance. He puts on that stupid grin of his and he starts acting like everything is perfectly fine. Like them being together again is normal. "Boy, did you give us the scare of a life time, teme! You were only unconscious for a day but you looked half dead when Sakura-chan started to work on you. We thought you were going to die for sure! Good thing we have the village's number one medical ninja specialist with us or you would have been screwed!"

"Hey, Naruto! Stop saying such unnecessary things," she tells him, blushing.

"But it's the truth, right?" he asks. "We all would have been dead if it weren't for you."

"I thought I told you to stop it!"

"You shouldn't have bothered."

Naruto and Sakura didn't expect to hear that. Both of them turn to Sasuke to give him their full attention and they see him with his head facing the ground and his hands clenching the comforter over his lower half. He would have been dead if Sakura didn't heal his wounds? If neither of them saved him, he would have been dead and maybe things would have been better like that. Cause right now he's feeling these feelings he's not supposed to feel after finally obtaining revenge. He's not supposed to feel this way. He's supposed to be dead and yet these people…

"You haven't changed at all, Naruto. You're still that same persistent moron who just doesn't know when to leave things alone. I don't need your hospitality and I didn't need you to save my life."

Now that surely wasn't something that neither of the two other members of Team 7 expected to hear. It was like he was telling them to abandon him. Leave him out to suffer alone when they know that he's already suffered enough. He's their friend and he's telling them to have left him to die? That angered Naruto greatly. So much so that he blew off at him moments after those words were spoken. "So what? You just wanted me to leave you where I found you? If I didn't get you when I did, that guy with the weird orange mask would have gotten you!"

A guy with a weird orange mask, Sasuke slightly wondered when he heard that. He even looked up at him slightly to show that the spiky hair blonde has caught a bit of his attention. Naruto couldn't possibly mean the guy that was with that one Akatsuki member who blew himself up, did he? Deidara must have been his name if the young raven hair could remember clearly, and that other guy…Tobi, was it?

Naruto continues, "It was either him or me and I know for a fact that he wasn't going to let you die either!"

Gosh he's annoying. Sasuke slightly narrows his eyes at his formal comrade. Still blasting out nonsense when he clearly still does not know anything.

Trying to stop this quarreling from continuing any longer, Sakura turns to the teenager across from her and commands, "Naruto, stop it."

"No, he needs to hear this." Of course he wasn't going to listen, Sakura or not. Now that his mind is set on making Sasuke understand, he's not going to back down till his words reach his stubborn friend. "You wanna know something? The person who hasn't changed at all is you, teme! You may be stronger now, strong enough to have finally obtained your revenge, but that crappy attitude of yours hasn't changed at all! You're still that stuck-up showoff who thinks that whatever the world has to offer should be served on a silver platter because you think you're so great!"

Sasuke narrows his eyes a little more into a 'back off' glare and he reminds, "I told you before, Naruto. You don't know what it's like. You have been alone from the beginning so you don't know what it's like to lose everything," and then he pauses. He paused because he began to remember. Remember what it was like that day when he did lose everything. And yet even with that memory still fresh in his mind, he still feels unsatisfied with his brother's blood now on his hands. "…and you don't know what it's like to do everything in your power to make that person who made you lose everything suffer the way you have suffered."

"And how do you feel now, Sasuke?"

Neither of the three expected to hear that. Not even Sasuke who would have sensed him coming instantly, Great Copy-Cat Ninja or not. His argument with Naruto must have distracted him. The blonde always did that kind of effect on him. All three of them look up at the door and leaning on the door frame is their sensei, or formal sensei – depending on who's being mentioned.

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura exclaims, seeing him. The look of confusion or curiosity on all three of their faces speaks to the spiky white hair man their question.

"We can hear you all the way from the front. You two are as noisy as always." Then his attention turns to the second most stubborn teenager in this room. "But back to my earlier question, how do you feel now that you've obtained your revenge, Sasuke? Do you by chance feel…empty?"

As soon as he said that last word, Sasuke's once irritated and annoyed expression instantly changes to pure shock. His eyes widen to the point of the white of his eyes surrounding his pupils, his mouth slightly opened, and his form still. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. When he didn't say anything or move, his formal teammates look at him to see him like that. Then when Kakashi spoke again, they turn to him.

"You forget, Sasuke. Naruto may not know what it's like to take revenge on someone but I do. I've lived longer than you and I've seen and experienced a lot more than you. Taking revenge on someone doesn't make things better. It makes things worst. You believed that after losing everything that you loved, revenge is all that's left. There is nothing more you can lose, but that's a lie. Once you've obtain revenge, all there is left is emptiness. You've based your whole life on revenge, treated it as your purpose in your life. Now that it's over, what's left? Absolutely nothing."

He's right and Sasuke knows that. Kakashi told him something like this before after he nearly killed Naruto on top of the hospital roof but back then, he didn't listen and went to Orochimaru. It may have been because those Sound Ninja Four came in and spoke to him about something he understood. What his sensei told him long ago was something he didn't understand and it left him in deep turmoil. But now that he does have some sense to what the older ninja is talking about, he's listening – a little.

"So maybe you do know what it's like," he mutters. His formal comrades look back at him and they see that he no longer has that dumbstruck look on his face. In fact, it's slowly starting to turn purely anger and frustration for having to explain himself to these people. "But that doesn't change the fact that you should have left me to die! I'm a rogue ninja and you people insist I return to Konoha! What's waiting for me there, HUH?"

"That's us, teme."

This time, Naruto has grasps Sasuke's full attention. He looks at the spiky haired blonde and his sky blue eyes show how dead serious he is and how serious he's going to be when he says his next words. All Sasuke could do is sit there and listen. "You may not believe it but Konoha has us. Your comrades, your friends. We're a family, Sasuke. Maybe not a normal one with a mother and a father and maybe we're not all blood related but we're still a family. You don't have to accept it now, but know that we are here for you and we are more than welcomed to accept you back."

What is it with these people? What does Sasuke have to do to make them leave him alone? Do they want him to kill everything that they loved just so they can hate him? No, because that everything would be the entire Konoha village and he's not a cold-blooded murderer. He's not going to kill innocent people just for the hell of it but what does he have to do to be left alone so he can shrivel up and die?

"You people…" he mumbles, lowering his face and letting his bangs hideaway half of it. He grips the covers even more and his next words sound more like he's spiting them through his clench teeth. "…truly are…pathetic."

At least he's actually hearing their words and is sort of taking them in. It's like talking to a child that goes in and out of focus. But in this situation, they're willing to be patient with him. Kakashi asks him, "Well what else can you do? You've completed your life's purpose and dying is definitely not something we're all going to allow you to do. Rather it's us or them, we both want you alive."

By 'them' he means the rest of the Akatsuki, right? That's where that man with the whirly mask came from. Thinking about this rationally, rather Sasuke likes it or not dying now is not an option anyone is going to accept from him. The only thing they probably would accept is which people to go with. Yes, he's already with Naruto and his little gang but Sasuke could easily escape them and go to the Akatsuki. But what do they have to offer him?

Seeing his reaction to all of this, Sakura tries to say to him, "And I'm sure Tsunade-sama will think of something to help you start a new life back in the village. She is the fifth Hokage after all." Then she starts pleading. All this time, she's trained and looked for him just so she can be this close to him without a blade pointing at her or her fist coming for him. She never wants something like that to happen again. "Please, Sasuke-kun. We just got you back. We don't want to lose you again."

And Naruto adds in, proclaiming, "And if you try to run away, you know I will just chase after you again. I'll keep running after you no matter what. Even if you cut my legs off or try to kill me, I ain't giving up on ya, teme!"

Yep, dying is certainly not an option. The Akatsuki don't want him dead and Konoha doesn't want him dead. If Sasuke stays with these people, then the Akatsuki are sure to come after him, but that's the same actions Naruto will make if he goes with Akatsuki.

"So Sasuke, what will you do now?"

Indeed, what will he do now?

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><p><strong>There you guys go! The talk I think Naruto would have had with Sasuke if he got him before Madara. Or at least the discussion I think they would have if Naruto defeats Sasuke, takes him back home, and tries to talk some sense into him without trying to send a Rasengan at his way.<strong>

**Was it bad? Good? Let me know. Till next time!**


	3. Rumor

**A/N: Hello everyone! Okay, I know that I would be updating this story once a week or whenever Naruto is updated in chapters but you know something? Naruto is on break this week and I don't think this chapter is good enough to wait another week to be read. I think it's a bit short and little boring for lack of action but it's going to put the scene for my next chapter. I also have one more note but I will explain it at the end of the chapter so you know that I'm talking about after you read it.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, I would either make it like this or I would have Itachi and Sasuke be reunited forever as either brothers or lovers. This is a brother's fic so it's not ItaSasu, sorry. Thank you all who have reviewed and please keep them coming. I love knowing how my readers think after a chapter and I love knowing if I'm doing a good job or not. Criticism is accepted. I want to be a better writer so please, give me feedback on that too! Enjoy everyone, if you can.**

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><p>Ch. 2: Rumor<p>

"Ne, ne, did you hear about the Uchiha child?"

"You mean Uchiha Sasuke? I heard three years ago he received a top secret mission from the Fifth Hokage."

"Yeah, something about executing Orochimaru. Since that Sanin wanted the child so bad, the Fifth Hokage used that as an advantage for the child to get intel on him."

"But I heard he did more than that. He actually _killed_ that Legendary Sanin."

"In his own way, the child also used him to gain some extra training and as soon as he was done with him, he executed him. That's why he took so long. Or so I heard. But did you also hear about what became the murderer of the Uchiha clan?"

"That boy's brother?"

"Yes, exactly him. They say that after eliminating Orochimaru and instead of coming straight back to the village, the child pursued his brother to eliminate him as well. That's why that Naruto child went after him."

"That boy killed him? But wasn't he his brother?"

"But he was also the murderer of the great Uchiha clan and he was an S-class criminal. Way I see it, good riddance. I also heard we are to respect that boy as if he's a hero."

"But what we're just hearing are rumors correct? They're probably not really true."

"Shh! Here he comes."

But even though both women stopped talking as soon as one of them noticed Sasuke walking down the streets of Konoha, he heard them before they even saw him.

Sasuke decided to return back to the village. Since his 'team' already obtained him and bandaged him up, he actually had no choice but to return with them to his birth village. He would never admit it or even realize it, but coming back to Konoha might open a new door to him, or so his 'friends' keep telling him anyhow. His revenge is obtained and now he has people who want him to start over and try another shot at happiness. Besides, it would have been too troublesome to try and escape so he can go to the Akatsuki. It's not like they have a better deal to offer him than Konoha.

Of course as soon as he arrived, he had to see the Fifth Hokage no matter what the hour because it was a mission completed for Naruto's team and now there is the issue of what to do with him. His wounds were mostly healed when he arrived, thanks to Sakura's medical ninjutsu's skills, so he had enough strength to be in present of the Lady Tsunade. She told him that his crimes of leaving the village will not go unpunished and now that he has returned, other people are to know of it. It cannot be held a secret and despite how Naruto is so willing to welcome him back, the people of Konoha might still be uneasy of his return. So she decided to spread a rumor that he was given a top-secret mission that no one else but the two of them knew about of spying on Orochimaru, using the Sanin's interest to their advantage. He was to gather information and then report back but he decided to act on his own and killed the Legendary Sanin. Then he acted alone again when he decide to kill the murderer of his clan. That was why Naruto was sent after him. With a rumor like that, Tsunade has to make it look like Sasuke is treated as Konoha's hero but for his reckless actions that would have jeopardized the mission and acting on his own, he is to be punished. Sasuke arriving at Konoha had been about a month ago.

For the past month, Tsunade has decided to keep the young Uchiha under house arrest and he is not to leave the village for any missions and Naruto has been living with him and following him wherever he goes to keep an eye on him. Plus in secret, Tsunade got a few highly skilled ninjas she knows will secretly watch Sasuke as well for any suspicious intentions and will not try to kill him. It's like being on a high surveillance for the most part. For some strange reason, she didn't assign to him ANBU Black Ops. Really, he didn't really care about not leaving the village or that he's being watched by some highly skilled ninjas twenty-four/seven. He also didn't mind the fact that they told him he is to live in the Uchiha district in his old house; or so he said. He didn't even mind the fact that Naruto had to move in with him and has become his new roommate. In the beginning, the blonde did argue that where he's living is fine but to hear that watching Sasuke is a highly important S-class mission changed his mind completely. While he's happy, Sasuke is irritated.

Or at least, Naruto assumes he is from the silent treatment he usually gets from the raven hair Uchiha.

If there is one thing that Sasuke hates, it's when he is being treated like an idiot when he's wrong and someone else is right. That emptiness that he's always felt since the day he killed Itachi has still never left him. Being back in Konoha, it didn't affect him. Being told that he is under house arrest, under tight watch from other ninjas, and that Naruto has to be by his side like glue didn't affect him at all either. He just felt empty. No more meaning in his life and yet he's still alive because no one wants him dead; not really.

Right now, both the Uchiha teenager and the Uzumaki teenager are walking through town, the villagers growing quiet and decide to stare at the two pair, and making their way to the Tsunade's office. She had summoned them to her and like good underlings, they must answer to the call. Though as they're walking, both of them can hear everything the other villagers are saying. It's all the same and has been the same since Lady Tsunade spread the rumor and announced of Sasuke's return. It's all the same and one would think that they would be over it by now. Instead of concerning himself with that, Sasuke takes a moment to sense the chakra around him. Still the same as always. Naruto by his side and a circle of hidden ninjas surrounding them. He knows that there would be no change in their formation but a change would be nice, wouldn't it?

Everyday has been the same. Naruto complaining about having nothing to do, trying to talk to Sasuke, take him to places in the village, and the Uchiha would say nothing and just stare out into space. It was like he's only moving on autopilot. He acts like he's nothing more than a lifeless doll. It irritated Naruto greatly and it troubled him. So on the way to the Hokage office, he's hoping that by some miracle Tsunade would give them something to do and it would open Sasuke up. He hates not having the Uchiha talk to him like how they used it or at least make an attempt on small conversation. He just wants his friend back, that's all.

Though there was one thing he wasn't expecting when the two of them arrived at the Hokage's office.

"You're giving us a what?"

Tsunade calmly replies, "I am giving you two a modified Chunin exam." Looking at the two ninja before her, Naruto is the only one who's showing any kind of emotion about all of this. Sasuke just looks impassive as always. A bit disappointed that she also couldn't get a reaction out of the ex-rogue shinobi, the Hokage sighs before continuing. "As far as I'm concerned, you two are the only ones of your generation who isn't a chunin. Both of you are still genin, no matter how powerful you two are."

When she says those words, they were heavy on Naruto's shoulders. It was like being reminded of that all over again from when he first arrived in the village. "Come on…give me a break here…" he groans in his own gloom. Tsunade, however, wasn't paying much attention to him. Lady Hokage has her brown eyes still on the Uchiha survivor. Still nothing. Not even a blink of an eye.

"Naruto, I'm not rubbing that fact into your face, you know. I'm reminding it to you so you can understand why I'm giving you this chunin exam. It's an exam that I'm only allowing you and Sasuke to take and it'll be something for you to do."

Naruto's whole expression perked up when he was told that last part. Hallelujah, his prayers are answered.

Then finally, Sasuke asks, "With the watchful eyes of your bodyguards?" Hearing that part, Naruto looks up at him shocked that he actually said something, as Tsunade narrows her eyes a bit at the boy. "Despite the _rumor_ you spread on how I was on a top-secret mission and how it gave me back a good reputation in the village, it doesn't change the reality that I wasn't on a top-secret mission and you still suspect me of attacking the village or running off on my own again."

Two sentences; and one of them was a long one. Naruto is beyond astonished. He's about ready to pinch himself for thinking that he might actually be dreaming. However in spite of all that, Sasuke's words also caught him off guard. But they make sense. The blonde knows that they told the whole village a lie and he knows that no matter how strongly he wishes for that lie to be true, a lie is a lie. It can never be reality so long as at least one person knows it is.

After a slightly long stilled silence, Tsunade speaks. "You two will continue to be watched. It's not just for precautions likewise. It's also to watch your performance during this test. Taking into account on the report Kakashi turned in, you've done quite the damage, Uchiha. With Naruto as an opponent, who knows how out of control you two can be. Or the damages that would need to be repaired. So your exam will not be in combat but in a survivor test."

"Survivor test? You mean like the second part of the original chunin exam?" Naruto asks.

"Similar, but you won't be trying to steal a heaven or earth scroll with a time limit of five days. You two will be left in a forest much more dangerous than the Forty-Fourth Training Ground for at least a month."

For any normal person, a place more dangerous than the Forest of Death and with a staying time of a month? Who would do that? Why the two ninjas standing before the Hokage, who else? Naruto is practically grinning ear to ear with enthusiasm while Sasuke is still blank – but he knows that he can handle a test like this. What the hell kind of training did they think Orochimaru put him through?

Caught up in his excitement, Naruto just leaps on his friend with his arm on the Uchiha's shoulders and he exclaims, "Alright! Sign us up, Granny Tsunade! When do we head out?"

"Tomorrow. For now rest and only pack weapons. Where you two are going, there is already food and plenty of places to find shelter. This is a survivor exam after all." Though as the Hokage is saying this, she's still only watching Sasuke's reaction. Not from the description of the exam or the way Naruto just leaped onto him did anything to change his look. He's still…dead.

"Wahoo! This is going to be awesome! Right, Sasuke?"

He doesn't answer. He still just stands there in his silence and his own thoughts.

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><p><strong>And that's it till next week when Naruto updates. The next week chapter will be better. I swear!<strong>

**Now then, I think it's appropriate to apologize for the timing I mentioned. I know that it didn't take a month for the old toad to come to the village and inform everyone that Jiraiya has died. But I needed some time to show that Sasuke hasn't been mobilizing since he's been back to the village. I mean, can any of you imagine him trying to get his old life together when he one, just killed his brother – the man who took everything from him; and two, he even wants to be back in the village in the first place? Think about it.**

**But how was it? Was it boring like I thought it was? Bad? Slightly good? Let me know! Till next week!**


	4. The Tragic News of a Great Teacher

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Now this is where things start to get to be more accurate with the manga. As the title already explains it all, this is where Jiraiya's death is announced and now we will see what Sasuke's reaction is being a part of it all and seeing Naruto's reaction to the news.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, I would write it like this so it'll make all of the Sasuke-fans happier, instead of drowning in misery that he's surrounded in darkness… Thank you for those who have reviewed and love this story. I love you all for that and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>Ch. 3: The Tragic News of a Great Teacher<p>

It's been a week and Naruto is ready to kill himself.

'_If I have to deal with this guy's attitude any longer, I am going to go insane!'_

The reason as to why Naruto is thinking this as both him and Sasuke are at their little camp just outside of a cave is because as followed…

Not even ten minutes since the two of them arrive at their new training ground, and survivor test area, they were attacked by giant animals. While Naruto had to deal with a giant tiger, ten times bigger than him, Sasuke was only rained on by at least three dozen leeches. He was fine since all he really had to do was use his sword to cut them in half before they even got their slimy selves on him. In a way, it almost looked like he was dancing as he cut them all. But none the less, he was done before Naruto and the blonde even asked for the Uchiha to lend him a hand. He could handle the tiger by himself easily and if he really wanted help, he would just make a clone of himself and together they'll beat the giant kitty down. But he just wanted a reaction from the guy. It's been so long he decided to humiliate himself a bit by asking for help but guess what Sasuke said to him.

"You're that weak? Seriously?"

That set Naruto off.

"I am not this weak!" He was so angry that he unintentionally punched the tiger on the top of its head so he could push it down and yell at the raven. Realizing what he just did, Sasuke still just stares at the blonde while Naruto takes a moment to let it register that they now have…

"Wahoo! Dinner!"

Then silence again.

Really, Sasuke was more waiting for Sasuke to make some kind of smart alec comment like 'That's too big for one meal and you'll just slow me down with that weight on your shoulders' but nothing. When he turned around, he sees the Sharingan user walking away.

"Teme! Where do you think you're going?"

He didn't even get an answer for that.

After they found a good spot to rest for the while they're here, it was lunch time and Naruto didn't bring the knocked out tiger. He left it where it attacked them. Naruto was expecting 'You usuratonkachi. Do I have to do everything?' but not even a peep or a groan of irritation. So he suggests doing what they used to do last time they were searching for food. They went fishing. Naruto multiplied himself and he asked Sasuke to catch the fish with his kunais when he makes them jump up in the air. Obviously, he was trying to make Sasuke remember all the good times they used to have together. Including the times that used to end up with Naruto screaming at him. The first time he jumped in, three came up, like last time but Naruto knows that there were more fish that jumped up.

"Hey, teme! Are you slacking or something?" he yelled but when he turned to the Uchiha, he saw Sasuke with Chidori in his hand. "Whoa, wait! Sasuke! What are you doing?" He tried to get out of the water but it was too late. Sasuke put his hand in the water and not only did the rest of the fish got electrocuted, so did Naruto. Plus a whole herd of piranha that were right behind the blonde. Then when he woke up, he was in the cave they decided to sleep in, there was a fire outside with fish cooking beside it, and Sasuke monitoring it. Or he appeared to have been monitoring it.

More than once…or actually dozens of times, Naruto would ask Sasuke to do something while he does something else and always, Naruto would be done with his work and Sasuke hasn't even touched his. He would still be just sitting there and staring out into the distance like some kind of lifeless doll. Those fish he cooked on the first day they were out here, they would have gotten burnt if Naruto didn't notice the smell in time. Now a week later, Naruto tried to hold his anger in as best as he could after telling the Uchiha to watch their dinner, which is the flesh of a giant bore that tried to attack them earlier and how that ended was a lot like how the confrontation of the giant tiger was; while he deals with getting water from the river. All he got from the guy was the same attitude he's been getting since day one – nothing, and even that is tap dancing on his last nerves.

However when Naruto came back from the river, guess what he saw?

Burnt meat over the fire and Sasuke still staring out into space.

"Teme! The food!" he screams, running over to the fire to see if they can still be saved. Only when he screamed did Sasuke even bother to lift his head up from the flames of the burning fire he was staring at the whole time.

As Naruto checks on the now hunch of coal on a black stick, Sasuke only says, "Oh," and that's it.

Three…two…one…

"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT!"

Dropping the coal into the fire, Naruto grabs Sasuke's shirt collar and brings him close to his face in a threatening manner and so he could yell at the guy with only three inches distances apart. "Snap out of it right now, Sasuke! Because I am sick and tired of you just moping around like a dead log! Ever since you've been back to the village, you have done nothing but sit on your ass and stare out into space. So what? Just because you've got your revenge for your clan, you think you can just shut down and be dragged here and there since no one wants you to die? Sasuke, you need to come back to reality! I want my friend back."

Then for the first time in a long time, Sasuke shows emotion on his face. Absolute irritation and disgust. "How many times do I have to repeat myself to get it through your thick head? You think you're tired? Because you people won't leave me alone, I have to force myself to get out of the damn house just so you would stop complaining to me about not doing anything! You're so annoying! I don't want anything you people claim to offer me, and I most certainly don't need it. I don't need the village, I don't need that pathetic team you call 'family', and I most certainly do not need you!" As if it was exactly like that time at the Valley of Tears, Sasuke's harsh words of his own truth pierce Naruto right where it all hurts. If his eyes didn't show surprise when he saw emotion on Sasuke's expression and actually heard the guy yelling, they do now when they widen in shock and he felt the sharp pain of his friend's cruel words. But not seeing this, Sasuke continues to push it. "How can you even call that a family? They are nothing compared to the real thing! And when you one day lose them all, the loss cannot possibly compare to the same as mine."

"That's enough, both of you!"

Well that was a voice the two of them didn't expect to hear for a while. Looking up at who called them, both ninjas see Kakashi not too far away from their camp and nothing but pure seriousness showing in his one eye.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto vocally acknowledging him, and him only.

The team 7 sensei's voice sounding just as serious, he tells them, "Enough arguing. You two are to come with me to the Hokage's office."

Loosening his grip on Sasuke's shirt but still holding on to him, the spiky blonde asks, "But what about the chunin exams? It's only been a week."

"It's canceled. Lady Hokage has urgent matters to speak with you, Naruto."

With Naruto? Then why not just continue on with the exam but Sasuke continues on his own until the guy gets back?

It's because Naruto's S-rank mission is still going on – not leaving the Uchiha's side for any reason, even if the raven head is also watched by several well-trusted shinobis.

Understanding the situation, Naruto replies, "Alright then." Usually, he would let out a sigh and complain about still not being to become a chunnin despite his incredible achievements. But he's still a bit sour about the conversation that happened earlier. Looking back at the Uchiha he still has in his grip, Naruto's anger returned and he shoves the guy down to the ground. "Maybe not to you, Sasuke," he says one last time for the day to get his piece out. "But to me, this team…this village…it's as close to a family as I'll ever get." After that, he stands up and goes to his bag of stuff. Sasuke remains on the ground for a little bit longer, glaring at the knuckle-headed ninja before he decides to get up and repack his belongings.

Watching them both, Kakashi eyes them both and thinks, _'It'll be a long time before things get back to normal. They're talking but it'll still take some time before their arguments soften up and they're only yelling on trivial things…hopefully.'_

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><p>The time traveling back to the village was tense. No one said a word to each other but both teenagers were still feeling the heat of their argument back at their camp. They wouldn't look at each other, let alone travel close together. Kakashi led the way but he could tell that they were leaping from tree to tree with him yards apart. They were the same distance when they arrived at the village and started walking towards Hokage's office. Now Kakashi would be used to these kind of auras but this made him want to break the ice, despite how he feels right now leading them to the Hokage. The one thing that finally got one of them talking was when they arrived at the Hokage building and Naruto saw two familiar faces.<p>

"Huh? Chief Toad and Gamakichi?"

Stopping briefly since he did to acknowledge his friends, both Sharingan users see two big toads – or rather one big toad and one giant toad. This was probably the first time either of them saw these toads before but it didn't surprise them to see the size of these toads. Sasuke saw snakes the same size as them but this is his first time seeing that Naruto's kuchiyose is a toad. Yet again, he probably picked that up from his teacher that he had for the past three years. He was a toad sage, right?

"Yo, Naruto," the smaller dark orange toad replies. But what Sasuke caught that Naruto didn't, that toad didn't look so cheery. Just by looking at the thing, the Uchiha could tell that this toad might be just as much as a punk as the guy standing yards away from him, and yet he's not acting like it now. In fact, he almost sounds…sympathetic.

"What are you guys doing here to early? Did something happen?"

Something happened, that's for sure.

"Actually…" he begins to say but before he could say the rest, the larger toad interrupts him.

"Gamakichi! It's not your place to say anything!" the giant toad, or Chief Toad snaps like he's scolding the smaller toad. "Leave this to the Boss and Tsunade." Hearing that causes the spiky blonde to tilt his head in slight confusion.

Boss? Who does he mean by 'Boss'?

But what Sasuke sort of wants to know is what could be so important that Lady Hokage had to cancel her modified chunnin exams and call Naruto and Sasuke out without so much as giving them time to go back to the Uchiha mansion and drop their stuff offs?

Something important to tell and two giant frogs are here. Interesting pieces to a puzzle.

Naruto asks, "What's going on?"

"Just hurry up." Looking away from the two giant toads, both the Uzumaki and the Uchiha look at their spiky haired sensei as he continues on his way. Naruto raises a brow at his also strange behavior as Sasuke narrows his eyes slightly trying to know why the Hatake is suddenly so serious as if he were on a mission.

At least, that's how he sees it from his memories as a willing member of Team 7.

The two boys eventually started after Kakashi when they were done eyeing him. But when they finally arrived in Tsunade's office and Naruto closed the door behind him as the last one to enter, he visually showed surprised for what he saw in the office. In the same room as him besides Tsunade, Shizune, the pig, Kakashi, Sasuke, and himself, there is also Sakura, Sai, and four unfamiliar toads – one orange and blue that sat besides Tsunade's desk with his arms crossed in front of his chest and four rings around his stomach, one blue and yellow toad that looked like a regular toad only ten times bigger, a blue and purple toad with a saddle on his back, and one green toad inside the saddle with grey hair like an old man and a cloak on. Well that's a little weird. The place is being infested with frogs but there is something else too. A lot of people in the room have very sorrowful looks on their faces. Things just get a little weirder and weirder and really, this is not giving Naruto a good vibe.

Finally, someone spoke and it's the old toad riding inside the saddle. He asks, "This is Jiraiya-boy's student?"

Answering him, Tsunade replies, "Yes. This is Uzumaki Naruto. The 'Child of Prophecy' you mentioned."

Child of Prophecy? Jiraiya-boy?

Somehow what the old toad called the Legendary Sannin freaked Naruto out a little more. Another fact that it was an old toad.

"A geezer frog? What the hell?"

"Hey! Watch your mouth, Naruto!" Tsunade snaps at him. "This is Lord Fukasaku, one of the Two Great Sages of Mount Myoboku. He came all the way here to speak with you."

"Well, to be accurate, I am a Great Sage Toad. But never mind that."

Hearing that toad speak those words, it just made Naruto's brow twitch because it sounds like the toad is trying to say he's greater than the other Great Sage Toad; if that is supposed to mean anything really.

Continuing, Fukasaku says, "You are, without a doubt, Jiraiya-boy's student."

" 'Jiraiya-boy'? 'boy'? You talk as though the Ero-sennin is a kid!" Oh now that's offending him? "Who does this geezer frog thing he is?"

Tsunade snaps again, "I said to watch your mouth!" This time sounding more irritated than usual. Something definitely happened.

Shizune by her lady's side explains, "This great man is the one who taught Sage Jutsu to Lord Jiraiya. He is Lord Jiraiya's master."

This surely came as a surprise to Naruto when he heard that but not to Sasuke. He remembers Orochimaru telling him this a while back but that was to teach the lesson of better learning who your enemies to greaten your chances of success. To Sasuke at the time, he thought the information didn't matter to him because so long as he was able to kill Itachi, he didn't have to worry about anyone else. He just wanted power to defeat him. No one else caught his attention to be on his 'to kill' list.

Though while Naruto is taken back by that little fact, the old toad howlers up a storm. "Hahahaha! Ero-sennin, huh? What a fitting nickname for Jiraiya-boy."

Well it is the truth. "So what does this geezer sage want with me?" Naruto asks.

Being asked that, Fukasaku drops his head as if in shame and replies, "I'm not sure where to begin. But let's see…I supposed the most important thing is…Jiraiya-boy has died in battle."

What?

Hearing this actually made Sasuke blink in his very slight surprised to have heard that while Naruto, he looked like he didn't hear the news right. "Huh?" is all he could say immediately after hearing that. "Wh-What are you talking about?"

All faces are faced towards him when the news finally came out. Even Sasuke decides to turn his head to look at the spiky hair blonde. As he looks at the guy's face, it looked like he couldn't understand what was just being said to him when the news is so obvious. He heard the words and he knows what they mean but he could not comprehend them.

Seeing that, the old toad decides to tell him of what he knows and of what happened to Jiraiya in battle. The attention turned away from Naruto when Fukasaku told his tale. Sasuke gave the toad his attention when he mentioned that Jiraiya's last opponent was not only a former disciple of his but also the leader of the most deadliest and powerful organization, Akatsuki – the same organization Itachi was involved in when he died. When he was with Orochimaru, the snake sannin told him everything he knew about the members of that organization. Though of course things might have changed over the nine years he's been gone but one thing didn't apparently. The leader of Akatsuki's name is Pein and he, like his home village, was a mystery and difficult to figure out, but powerful none the less.

"Even after he had his throat crushed by Pein, Jiraiya-boy left a message before collapsing." Reaching for his cloak, Fukasaku grabs the material on his shoulder and pulls it off as he turns around to reveal what's on his back to the people in the room. "This is the message."

But all anyone could see is numbers. 9, 31, 8, 106, 7, 207, and 15.

"It's a code," Shizune notices. Yeah, but what does it mean?

After giving everyone a brief look of what it is, Fukasaku puts his cloak back on. "I'm sure he did this to prevent Pein from noticing. I've told you everything about Jiraiya-boy."

And now there is a code dilemma. Tsunade voices her wonders out, "I wonder what Jiraiya wanted to say. If we can decode this, we'll understand, won't we?"

That's the general idea of messages written in codes but if that's the case, then it might take a while. Decoding codes take time and also there has to be a pattern for him to write those specific numbers on a toad's back. Only someone who knows him well enough could be able to.

"Did you…let him go, Granny?"

Hearing him for the first time since he heard about Jiraiya's death, the attention is turned back to him. He stands there with a low head and he spoke with the deadest voice any of them have ever heard from him. He would usually speak with so much enthusiasm and energy that it amazed anyone that he never got tired just by talking. But now he sounds so exhausted. It even surprises Sasuke to hear him sound like this. With his head low like that, he probably didn't even look up to see the code Fukasaku revealed to all of them.

The Lady Hokage replies, "That's right." And when she said that, Naruto got angry.

He bursts out snapping, "Why'd you allow such a reckless thing? You knew Ero-sennin better than anyone! How could you send him to such a dangerous place, alone?"

"Enough, Naruto," Kakashi scolds him. Looking at him from the scolding, Naruto can see how serious exactly his sensei looks to back off. "You of all people ought to know Lady Hokage's feelings."

Looking back at Hokage, he can see the pain on Tsunade's face. The guilt and the shame as well. She regrets sending Jiraiya off on such a dangerous mission. He can see that but does that ease his anger and pain? No.

"Damn it," he curses through his teeth. He turns around to walk away but he says one more thing before he starts walking. "Are you happy now, Sasuke?" He twitched when he heard the blonde say that to him but when he decided to turn around to face the spiky blonde, Naruto already has his hand on the door knob.

Sakura tries calling, "Naruto! Where are you going?"

But all he spats, "If Ero-sennin had been the Fifth Hokage, he wouldn't let Granny Tsunade take such risks. Never!" With those last words, he walks out and closes the door behind him without looking back to see Tsunade looking away at the harshness of his words and the concern on the young pink haired kunoichi's face.

"Naruto!"

Tsunade tells her disciple, "Sakura, it's alright. Let him be."

"But…"

Kakashi turns to the old toad sage and says to him with respect, "My apologies, Lord Fukasaku. I'll arrange for Naruto to-"

"No, that's alright," he interrupts, sounding considerate. "About the Child of Prophecy I mentioned earlier, I can see that child truly loved and admired Jiraiya-boy. I can't help but hope that he is the Child of Prophecy."

While everyone else is now looking at the toad for speaking, Sasuke is still looking at the door. How can he be happy that Jiraiya is dead? Or that Naruto is starting to act like a prick? Not only does the Uchiha feel a little taken back, he also feels insulted. He has this slight urge in his gut to find that guy and knock his teeth out, but that's a feeling he hasn't had in a long time. So why now?

Turning back to the only person not looking at everyone else, Kakashi can almost see what the Uchiha boy is thinking just by seeing the anger and the slight confusion in his onyx eyes. "Now he understands. Don't you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes widen and his mouth became a sold straight line on his face when he heard that. Sakura and Sai became slightly confused when they heard their team leader ask such a thing while as for the Uchiha, anger started to boil in veins. Kakashi heard their argument back on the training grounds and now also getting what Naruto said before he walked out, he feels a lot more than just insulted. Looking over his shoulder at the spiky silver haired man, he glares at him with his Sharingan activated. Both chunnins and Shizune became not only surprised when they see it but also a bit fearful when they also see the anger and hatred that still burned strongly inside of him. Kakashi and Tsunade show no response to it while Fukasaku appears surprised to see the Sharingan in the first place.

"Do not compare me to him," the boy warns. Then with swift steps, he walks towards the door and exits out himself.

This time, Sakura calls, "Sasuke-kun!" But he's long gone and he slammed the door on his way out. Seeing him leave like that, it just gives Kakashi even more stress.

"Leave him, Sakura," he tells her, seeing that she wants to chase after him also. "Give them both some time."

Now that the attention is on Sasuke, Tsunade tells the Jounin, "That's the first time I've seen him with so much emotion."

He explains, "When I arrived, the two of them were in a heated argument. Nothing special. Just the same argument they've been having since Sasuke decided to turn rogue."

Sakura understood then and it saddened her. Despite having Sasuke back, things haven't gone back to how they were before yet. And now that this happened…

"I think the two of them can understand each other a little more," Kakashi adds, as if he just read Sakura's mind. But then his voice fell as he mumbles, "I just hope it doesn't go down the same road."

And that is everyone's concern.

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><p><strong>But we all know better, right? Now the next chapter is going to be focus more on Sasuke's feelings about the whole 'losing your mentor' bit and as mentioned before, you're going to have to wait about a week for me to unleash that chapter. But it might come a bit later… Writing a chapter about Sasuke's feelings I can already tell is going to need a lot of focus but I start school next week and I'm busy the rest of this week as well. So if I don't update on time, please forgive me and I will try my hardest to get back on track!<strong>

**But how was the chapter? Bad? Good? Let me know. Until next time!**


	5. Remembering the Old You

**A/N: Hello, everyone. Okay, I read last week's chapter of Naruto and I was ready to cry. It was very moving and I should feel encouraged or something like that but something happened that made me upset. I know that the reason is entirely selfish and I should be more understanding but still! For those who read that chapter and understand why I'm sad, then please give me some comfort. At least this chapter is slightly related to that new chapter, emotionally likewise. Sorry that it's so long…**

**Also read the new one and I don't know ready to squeal, panic, or cry again. Sasuke and Itachi are taking me on a very stressful and emotional rollercoaster.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. That belongs to Kishimoto but if it had belong to me, I would have made the story like this or something along these lines. I'm sorry that I missed last week but I mentioned to you all before that it's because of school and also, I was stuck for a little bit. I didn't know how to explain a few parts but thanks to last week and this week, I'm done! Thank you for those who have reviewed and read this story even though it's most a vent or release of every new Naruto chapter I read. Enjoy! Warning though: you might be sad in the end but also touch. Maybe.**

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><p>Ch. 4: Remembering the Old You<p>

Arriving back home, even though Sasuke doesn't feel like calling his old house that anymore, it became the first time that the house seemed dead to him. First time he opened the door in ten years, he was with Naruto and despite the blonde's complaints on having to move from the apartment he had all his life, his mood changed from whiny to amazement and then to disgust because of all the dust and dirt. They cleaned and that took days to do, but opening that door with Naruto's cheerful behavior was like opening the door to a dark and lonely room and letting the sunlight come shining in to make everything better. Now Sasuke by himself opening that door, it made the feeling of seeing such a dead weight house come to him. A house he never wanted to come back for it held such sad and painful memories, and then became abandoned after such tragic events. Opening the door for the first time just felt like opening the door to a building. Sasuke didn't think much about it but now without Naruto's annoying positive attitude, it felt like how it was supposed to feel.

Nothing but a painful memory that should've been forgotten long ago, and that just made Sasuke all the more irritated.

He said so himself that he didn't need Naruto like how he didn't need everything else but strangely without the blonde, he just felt more depressed and angry. For three years, he kept these emotions inside and for the past month and a week, he acted like he didn't have them from the start. Now thanks to that Uzumaki, they're all exploding out like fireworks. Though all he needs to do is wait and let the wind carry the smoke of those feelings away and then just leave him with a clear and empty sky.

Walking through the house after taking his shoes off, Sasuke could tell that Naruto didn't come back yet and was probably walking around somewhere lugging his bag everywhere. The Chidori user wanted to call the guy an idiot but then he'll be considered getting all worked up about him. Why is he getting all worked up about him in the first place?

These feelings that the blonde never failed to bring out in him and all these questions are really starting to tap dance on Sasuke's last nerves. But what is he supposed to do? He didn't sign up for this. Sure he let them bring him back to the village and now he has to try and get used to everything again but that doesn't mean they can instantly send him off on a rollercoaster going up and down on an emotional turmoil. Does he even have any emotions? For three years he suppressed all of them and the last time he did show emotion before now was when he was fighting Itachi and killed him!

Itachi…

Thinking about that name causes Sasuke to stop. He was just automatically on his way to his room and now he decides to actually look around to see where he is in the house. If there is one room that connects to every room in the house, it's the courtyard. Sure the house has some hallways but the absolute main one is between the outside world and the inside world of the house. Right now as it is, Sasuke is not too far away from that one spot where him and his brother had that talk before those other Uchihas came in and accused Itachi as Shisui's murderer.

Though really after everything that Itachi did to him…all the shit he had to go through to where he is now, can Sasuke really call him brother? No, of course not. His 'brother' died with the rest of the family, or rather Sasuke never had a brother at all!

When that thought entered the young Uchiha's mind, his eyes snaps open wide again and something stabbed right through his chest, leaving an aching pain behind. Can he really just say that? This is probably the first time he actually thought that. Even when he was with Orochimaru, he always said that he no longer had ties to the village but rather an unbreakable bond of hatred with his _brother_. He never denied the fact that the man who left him crying and screaming for his life was his own cursed flesh and blood. In a way, he accepted it. After all, they were 'unique brothers' as Itachi quoted long ago.

Sasuke just didn't realize how unique they really were until that Mangekyo Sharingan talk.

"Che. Ridiculous," he spats before continuing on his way back to his room. He takes all of those emotions and all of those thought that went through his mind and throws them away. Just like he always do. As he passed that one spot on the edge to the courtyard, he didn't even look at it. All of those memories are nothing more than just the dust in the wind. They no longer exist.

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><p>As the day went on, Sasuke didn't go out. He knew that the other ninjas assigned to watch over him were now watching intensively thanks to Naruto's absence. Geez, he gets an S-rank mission of watching the guy he's been searching for three years to finally bring him back to the village and he abandons it. Can he even call himself a ninja if he's not going to take his mission seriously? Is he also still stupid enough to not at least come to this house first so he could drop off his damn bag? Those are thoughts the Uchiha decides to ponder in his mind as he stared out of the window to watch the world go by, as usual.<p>

What exactly was he thinking about for the time he was here? Sasuke doesn't even remember. With all this anger distracting him, it's also messing with his memory. Even if he was to remember, he can tell that the reason why he didn't mobilize himself because of those thoughts would just make him feel idiotic and that is one thing Sasuke is not.

As the day turned into night, Sasuke came upon the most human need anyone could have. He got hungry and really with everything going on with his missing bodyguard and his irritation, cooking might help. So he got up from his room and headed towards the kitchen, having to pass that one spot in the courtyard again.

"_Watch out for the seeds alright?"_

That voice!

Looking up before him almost desperately and in shock, Sasuke is having a flashback. At that one spot, he sees his mother, appearing transparent but still holding that warm kind smile so full of life she always used to have. She almost looked like a lost spirit frozen in time as she comes in with a plate of watermelon and she brings them to her two sons sitting on the edge, waiting for her on the hot summer day. The present Sasuke almost forgot what she looked like. Her long midnight hair that glistened under the sun like starlight, her soft and gentle eyes twinkling with the joys of being a mother, her moon pale skin that always used to appear soft and flawless in every way, and her lips that would speak the wisest of words and give the most encouraging and happiest smiles.

Having the plate of watermelon presented before the two boys, child Sasuke, possibly the age of three, cheers. _"Hooray! Thank you, mommy!"_ He quickly snatched a slice and instantly began to devour it. But not heading to his mother's warning, there was a slightly loud _crunch_ noise and his once happy face instantly changed to blank surprise. That face actually made seven year-old Itachi worried.

"_Ahh! Sasuke! Spit it out!"_ he panicked, as if Sasuke was going to die unless he spit that crushed seed out. Seeing this happening between her two boys, Mikoto smiled and laughed.

"_I told you to watch out for the seeds, didn't I?"_ Then she continued laughing as Sasuke was sticking his tongue out to let the remains of that seed slide off his tongue. Itachi still looked like he was in panic mood.

Seeing this one memory the Uchiha boy used to have on that spot, it made Sasuke upset for two reasons. One, because Itachi acted like he actually cared for his little brother when he was nothing more than a cold-hearted murderer since birth, and two, because he was even seeing this useless memory in the first place. Why was he seeing this? It's all useless now. None of it matters anymore.

No longer wishing to see this memory any longer, Sasuke makes a sharp turn and decides to take a long short-cut to get to the kitchen. But there is a problem. This old home of his, now that he's all alone, it's full of old memories.

"_Wow! It's so cool!"_ three year-old Sasuke exclaimed, looking at the forehead protector his brother got from graduating.

Looking down at his adorable, curious little brother with a tender smile, Itachi tells him, _"It's nothing special, Sasuke. It's only a headband."_

"_But it's a lot more than a headband, nii-san!"_ the little toddler yelled at the seven year-old as if he were scolding the older Uchiha. _"It's a symbol that you're a ninja now and you did it in only one year. That's so cool! I'm going to become just like nii-san and graduate from the academy early so I can go on missions with nii-san!"_

Hearing his naïve and childish words, it made Itachi's smile melt away from his face and there was a sad frown instead. This confused the toddler and even more so when his brother said, _"Otouto, listen to me. When you enter the academy, I want you to make the most of it. Spend as much time as you can, make some friends, and create happy memories while you're there. I don't have any friends so I graduated as early as I did. There's nothing for me there. But I want you to have the best time of your life there. Don't waste your childhood."_

"_But why, nii-san? I don't understand."_

Itachi's smile returned and he pulled his little brother in a strong yet gentle embrace as he told the child, _"One day you will. One day."_

Like he ever got the chance too. Itachi destroyed that boy's childhood the day he killed their entire clan. At least there was one thing in that academy that provided Sasuke the motivation to keep going to that place. It held the training he needed to become stronger so he could become a ninja and continue becoming stronger so he could kill the man who left him behind. Seeing this memory in room that was once Sasuke's play room before it became a storage room, and the room the present Sasuke just entered, the Uchiha gritted his teeth together in annoyance before storming off to the other door and entering the inside hallway to get to the damn kitchen.

But that was just another memory ready to pounce on him.

"_Nii-san! Come play with me!" _child Sasuke cheered, grasping his big brother's hand and then collapsing on his butt. Itachi was pulled down slightly from the weight of his still toddler brother before he decided to pick him up.

"_I wish I could but I have a mission to go to later on,"_ he replies, his kind smile almost covering up the fact that he really is sorry he can't play with his little brother.

Sasuke pouted as he grumbles, _"Aww, skip the mission and play with me! You don't do much anyway but community service."_

Itachi laughed slightly when he heard that. _"Not this time, otouto. I have to escort someone outside of the village."_

Hearing that, Sasuke's adorable chubby face brightened up with wonder. _"Really? You're going to travel? When will you be back?"_

"_I don't know, otouto. The escort lives in Sunagakure and the estimate time arriving to that village is three days."_

When the toddler heard that, his face fell greatly. _"You're going to be gone that long?"_ Then determination shined out from his beady eyes. He wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck and held on for dear life. _"No! I don't want nii-san gone for that long!"_

"_Sasuke, you're choking me…"_ Itachi was able to rasp through that tight hold of the boy. Being able to use one hand to get those arms to loosen up, the older Uchiha smiled down at his now pouty, upset little brother and said, _"I'll try to come back to you as soon as I can, otouto. Father is also busy with missions and I need you to be the man of the house and watch over mother for me. You do that and I'll come home as soon as you can."_

"_Can you come home by tonight?"_

"_Now, Sasuke, be reasonable."_

Seeing this memory, Sasuke really feels like punching something right now. His teeth are clench in his fury again but now his hands are clutch tight together and there's a growl ready to just rumble out of his throat. What the hell is it with these stupid memories?

Since he really has nowhere else to go, Sasuke stomps his way down the hallway and walks right pass through that memory as if it were nothing more than a mirage. Hopefully, that memory just disappeared and that's the end of it.

"Damn it," he curses. "When is that damn usuratonkachi coming back?"

At least he knows that this stuff never happened when Naruto was around. Hopefully for the sake of his sanity, they would all go away when that guy comes back. But that would be considered as Sasuke actually needed the spiky blonde. How infuriating.

As Sasuke becomes closer and closer to the kitchen, there are just a few more rooms to pass before he finally gets there. One of them was the bathroom and the unexpected thing about the bathroom was he saw the lights were one and Sasuke could hear the sound of water running in the sink. Well he be damned. The guy thought of him and Naruto is finally back to make everything normal again. However even though Sasuke knows that the blonde had a long day with everything that's happened, he didn't exactly have a pleasant day either. Especially not now.

Sasuke marches up to the bathroom door and when he slammed it open, he wasn't entirely expecting to see someone else instead of Naruto. Standing in front of the sink, or rather leaning over the sink with the water running is eight year-old Itachi and he looks like he's in pain. He's panting and even from the angle the present Sasuke is seeing him, he's sweating and he's pale. This is one memory Sasuke definitely remembers. It happened when his brother came home late one night after a mission.

"_Nii-san?"_

Hearing that little voice, the child Itachi slightly lifts his head up to the side and he sees his little brother rubbing the sleep away from one eye before looking at him with concern and worry. _"Nii-san, what's wrong? Does something hurt?"_

Itachi looked away moments later and he told the little boy, _"It's nothing, otouto. Just go back to sleep, alright?"_ He sounded stress and there was almost a silent plea for the boy to do as he was asked. But like the child he was, little Sasuke didn't get it.

Walking up to him, the child grasped the edge of Itachi's shirt and told him, _"But you're in pain, aren't you nii-san? I wanna help."_

"_I'm not in pain, otouto. I'm fine."_ But Sasuke didn't believe it. His brother sounded too stressed and too raspy to be fine.

"_Nii-san! I wanna help!"_

Itachi then snapped his head toward the boy and there, Sasuke saw exactly why his older brother was in so much pain. However, he yelled, _"I told you I'm fine! Now go away and leave me alone!"_

Hearing those words, it shocked and scared the little boy. He released Itachi's shirt and then the older Uchiha brother realized what he just did. Sasuke pulled his hand away and took several steps back away from his brother. _"I'm sorry,"_ he mumbled. _"I'll leave you now."_ But even though he said that, he didn't move from his spot. Itachi heard how pitchy Sasuke's voice became and he could see the little boy's shoulders shaking. It didn't take time at all till he could see fallen droplets of tears dripping down to the ground. It made Itachi's expression become painted with guilt and shame for yelling at the poor boy. All he wanted to do was help and Itachi snapped at him. What kind of older brother is he?

"_Sasuke, I…"_ The older boy kneeled in front of the smaller one and there he could see that his little brother is trying to hold his sobs in but it's a battle he's losing. Unable to bear seeing his crying face, Itachi pulled the boy into his arms and he held him for all he's worth. _"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm sorry."_

The crying boy wasted no time crying on his big brother's shoulders. He was really scared there. He thought his brother hated him when he yelled like that. Itachi never raised his voice at him before and it worried and frightened him. However, judging by the clothes Itachi was still in and what he saw on his face, the older Uchiha was exhausted mentally and physically. He's still wearing his ninja clothes and they're dirtied from battle. He just came home and it's late.

However, happy to hear that everything is all better again, Sasuke smiled and returns his brother's hug. _"I forgive you, nii-san. But nii-san, your eyes look really cool. Are mine going to change like that, too?"_

Relieved to hear the boy say those things again, Itachi pulled him back a little bit and allow Sasuke to gaze into his new Sharingan eyes. The child seemed dazzled and bewildered by them. He answered, _"One day when you're older. But for now, do you want to know what they mean?"_

"_What?" _Sasuke excitedly asked. How cute.

"_It means that I've become stronger so I could protect what's important to me. You."_

"_Me?"_

"_Yes. You are my baby brother and I will protect you no matter what. I swear it."_ To prove his point, he poked Sasuke's forehead with his index and his middle finger. Sasuke yelped when he felt that. It hurt a little but at the same time, he felt too happy to be mad at his brother.

Giving his brother one more hug, Sasuke cheered, _"Nii-san, I love you!"_

Itachi held him back, true happiness and joy on his face to feel the boy latch onto him so willingly and full-heartedly. _"I love you too, otouto."_

Then unlike all the other memories that happened in this house, this one disappeared on its own. The lights turned off and the sink was no longer running. It was just a dark, empty bathroom with Sasuke standing in front of the doorway. Just standing there from the shock of even seeing this memory as it stills keep him frozen in place. It didn't take too long till he resumed his earlier irritation and anger, only ten times worst than before. His teeth clench again, his firsts grip on the air and they begin to tremble as Sasuke growls in his fury. Plus, his own Sharingan activates again and they're spinning around in his rage. This is really ridiculous and this is truly starting to piss him off.

"God damnit all!" he yells, before finally punching the wall. He made a deep dent into it but right now he really doesn't care. He lost his appetite and now he's making a break for it for the door before some other painful memory of lies appears before him. Right now, he just needs to get out of the house. Get out and get some air.

Hastily, Sasuke puts his shoes on and he rushes out of the door so fast, the ninjas watching him probably think he's going to try and escape out of the village. Right now, nothing would make him happier. Get out of this village and forget everything. All he has are these painful memories of his past and all he wants to do is forget them. Forget they every existed in the first place. Forget the pain, the suffering, the agony they all bring, and forget everyone ever associated with him. He wants to forget his 'friends', his 'comrades', his clan, his mother, his father, and especially his brother! He wants to forget him most of all because if it weren't for him, his life wouldn't be so messed up right now. If he forgets about him, Sasuke's life would be…

…

…what would his life be like?

All this time, his life was ever about revenge. He got up every morning with the determination of becoming stronger and one day killing the man who ruined him. Learn a new jutsu, learn another lesson on how to survive, test his mind on creating the most perfect strategies without any openings, and strengthening his body and mind to overcome his weaknesses. He even went as far as becoming nothing more than an emotionless doll so he wouldn't allow the memories of his past to distract him. He cut himself off from the world and only thought of his 'companions' as tools to meet his goal. That's why he created Hebi. Everything he ever did was about revenge. If his life wasn't about that anymore, then what would it be?

One would think that the answer would be so easy to figure out but to Sasuke, even considering what the answer would be is almost near to impossible to figure out.

The Sharingan user walks around the village with no destination in mind. Konohagakure is dark and quite right now, which is really a relief to him. At Orochimaru's hideout, Sasuke always had to go outside and walk a mile or two away to have some peace and to let his mind think. The hideouts would always be full of screams and moans from the victims of Orochimaru's experiments. Not to mention that it would be so stuffy inside that there wouldn't be any air for the Uchiha to use to clear his head. At least in the open air village, he could have that without difficulty. Especially now since most of the villagers are asleep.

Being out here, it feels a lot better. No more foolish memories to send his emotions on haywire. No more lies to hear that made his ears bleed and his head ache. But even still, it's all the same. There is still nothing to do but walk and his mind will work regardless of what he wants. Maybe doing something useless would help. He decides to try counting the cracks in the sidewalk. It started to work for a time before the sidewalk no longer had anymore cracks to be counted. That must be due to being fixed so many times. When he looks up to see if there is anything else he can count to keep his brain distracted, he sees one thing in the far off distance that stops him from continuing walking on.

Sitting on a bench under a bright street lamp is the number one knuckle-headed ninja himself. Sasuke is a bit surprised to see Naruto here but if he's out wondering the streets at this hour, who was to say that Naruto wasn't? If the blonde had gone back to the Uchiha manor then he would have found the raven head a long time ago. Though yet again, seeing how bent over he looks slumping on that bench with his head low, he probably wouldn't have bothered if Sasuke went missing. But what to do now? Should Sasuke continue onwards and see if the blonde would even notice him passing by or turn around and continue on a different route so he can count the cracks again?

He should just leave the blonde with his thoughts. He would come back eventually but would that mean that Sasuke has to return to that big house on his own and face his memories on his own again? That is definitely something he will not do. He will never admit it but for this one time to at least get a roof back over his head, Sasuke will need Naruto to enter that place. Damn it all to hell.

Taking his chances, the Uchiha continues walking forward. As he gets closer, he can see that the Uzumaki doesn't have his orange jacket or his orange pants anymore. He's just wearing comfortable clothes and he doesn't have his bag of weapons that he brought to the training grounds either. He didn't go back to the Uchiha manor, that's for sure. Sasuke wasn't that overcome by his emotions or that out of it to not notice him coming back into that building to drop his stuff off and change. His time in that manor is only temporary until the Hokage can trust the Uchiha again. So that means that Naruto went back to his old home to drop off everything because at least in that place, he's away from everyone…and away from the guy he just argued with this morning.

There's something else that Sasuke noticed when he got closer to the blonde. Two things actually. He noticed that Naruto has an orange Popsicle in his hand – the double one that can be broken apart to share; and it's dripping, but that's not all. Also dripping to the ground are tears that are just rolling down Naruto's face like a runny faucet. He did not make a sound, his face didn't crunch up, and his nose didn't drip with snot. It's just tears constantly rolling down his face.

This didn't look like Naruto. Not the Naruto Sasuke knows. This person before him may have the same facial features and built but it's not him. It couldn't be.

Naruto must have finally noticed someone else roaming the streets at this hour. He looks to the side and he sees Sasuke standing only a few feet away from him, staring at him in slight disbelief of how far his grief as made him change.

"Sasuke." His voice when he called the raven head, it didn't sound like his own either. When Sasuke was leaving Konohagakure three years ago, he saw how torn up the blonde was for having to fight him when Sasuke tried to kill. But never has the Uchiha ever saw Naruto so broken up before. It was almost made Sasuke forget what Naruto was like only this morning. When he was full of energy, yelling his head off at him and trying to get his point of 'I'm-here-for-you'. It almost made the raven head miss that part of him. Almost.

Since he's already here and he knows that being alone would just make him more irritated, plus he really doesn't feel like counting some miscellaneous object, Naruto's tears and his defeated character are a lot toleratible than thinking. So Sasuke approaches him and sits on the bench not too far away from his 'supervisor' but not too close either. Several moments of silence pass between them and the double popsicles in Naruto's hand only continues to melt some more and drip to the ground.

"You know, I…I wanted him to keep watching over me…"

Hearing him spoke, Sasuke gives him his full undivided attention. Naruto's not looking at him anymore. His only focus is on the ground but on his face is the most beat-up looking smile and dead eyes the Uchiha has ever seen him on his face. It was alien to see Naruto like this. Even his voice sounded like he no longer has any life left in him anymore. The tears stopped rolling down for now but they left dried up trails behind. He didn't bother to wipe them away, which just puts the cherry on top of his depression.

"…wanted him to see me become Hokage…But I only ended up showing Ero-sennin the worst, most un-cool side of me…I…"

Only showing him the worst, un-cool side of him…Those words sound familiar to the Uchiha. Something he knows a lot about a long time ago. When Itachi used to train him, their moments together were always like that. Itachi would take the time to try and teach Sasuke something but it always ended up in him embarrassing himself when he tried to do it. That time when he twisted his ankle on the day his brother told him about the police force was one of those times. All little naïve Sasuke wanted to do was have his big brother recognize him as a shinobi…admit that he had potential to be the best there is…admire him as his equal…that was all he strived for when he was innocent. That's how Naruto lived as well all this time. He wanted respect from everyone around him, but most importantly the people who inspired him to become the best there is.

"_You really __**have**__…gotten stronger…Sasuke…"_

Probably the only difference between the two of them now is before Itachi died, he did recognize his little brother as a strong shinobi, worthy of the Uchiha name and as his equal. Naruto didn't hear those words from his teacher.

"Naruto."

Both boys didn't expect to hear that voice at this hour. Both of them turn to the side to see Umino Iruka approaching them from the darkness of the street. This surprised Naruto because it was only a few hours ago that he saw the chunnin walking down the street, offering to treat him to some ramen to catch up. The reason why seeing him surprises Sasuke is because he's been walking around Konoha and he thought everyone else was asleep. Maybe he was more distracted with his old memories than he thought.

Their academy sensei walks towards the other side of Naruto. He sits down in only his comfortable black suit and no headband on his forehead. Once relaxed, he speaks again, "I heard about Jiraiya and I heard what you said just now, Naruto. Lord Jiraiya…only ever had praise for you. He was always boasting about you, saying you were like his own grandchild. He had faith that you were the one who would inherit his will. And truly believed that you would become a wonderful Hokage one day." He said all of that with a honest and sincere smile on his face; adding the disbelief and surprise in Naruto's eyes. Did his master really admire him, even though he wouldn't say those words to Naruto? It made him wonder what else Jiraiya said about him. "I believe Lord Jiraiya is still watching over you..." Then he stands up from his seat and moves to stand in front of the two boys. "…even this very minute from somewhere…" Gently and casually taking the popsicle from Naruto's hands…"He wouldn't be happy seeing you so blue. So," and he splits it into two, like how it's supposed to. Naruto could only sit there and watch as his Academy sensei and father-figure gives him one of the popsicles and tells him, "Just go back to being the you that he praised. Cheer up! For you are a distinguish student acknowledge by Lord Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin himself."

Words of praise. That was all Naruto ever wanted from Jiraiya. Someone precious and important to him to say he has gotten stronger. Yes, he may now never hear such words from the perverted sannin own mouth but hearing from Iruka that Jiraiya talked about him, it's good enough. He's happy to hear Iruka say this to him and he appreciates the fact that he's trying to cheer him up. It worked, a bit. At least enough for the spiky blonde to smile at the man before him and then accept the popsicle offered to him.

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka smiles back at him. Then his eyes revert to the other young adult with them. "You too, Sasuke." Sasuke was paying attention to the words Iruka spoke to Naruto and until now, he only listened as just an extra character on the sidelines. He didn't expect to be included in the discussion all of a sudden. Or expect to see Iruka offer him the other half of the pair popsicle. "I saw you earlier. You seemed pretty upset yourself about something. I personally welcome you back home and truly hope coming here will heal the wounds of your heart."

Now this man is trying to cheer Sasuke up as well. The Uchiha boy never really attended to be close to this sensei like Naruto did. He just participated in his classes and passed any test he could throw at him. Nothing else, and yet this man is wasting his efforts on trying to make the boy feel better. He didn't know what was more ridiculous. Iruka or himself when he decides to accept the popsicle from the man's hand.

"I thank you for your kind words, Iruka," he replies with his usual monotone voice. Iruka didn't worry about the way Sasuke sounded responding to him. Just looking at the raven head's face and actually seeing him here again, willing to sit beside his comrade as if he became concerned for the blonde and came to look for him. To him, that's a good sign. He knows that for things to be completely normal, they all must take time.

Standing up, he tells them both, "I'll leave you two alone now. You both need to patch up the pieces of what's been broken and I don't think there is another person in this village who can understand you two better than yourselves. Try not to stay out too late, okay?"

And then he left. Iruka turns on his heel and starts heading back to his home; leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone, and waving and smiling at them both before disappearing from their vision. Both boys hardly moved once the Academy instructor left. They still just sit there with a popsicle in their hands. Naruto has his head low again as Sasuke is staring at the orange popsicle in his hand. Popsicles are sweet and he doesn't like sweets too terribly much. It wasn't just the sugary taste that made him cringe the very second he could taste it on his taste buds, especially a popsicle since it's practically sugary colored water frozen, but there was another reason why he doesn't like sweets.

It's because Itachi liked sweets and anything about Itachi, Sasuke grew to hate with every fiber of his being. However, thinking about it now that was probably a little bit stupid.

"Can I tell you something, Sasuke?"

The blonde spoke. Turning away from the melting sweet snack in his hand, Sasuke eyes the Uzumaki next to him and without giving him the chance to reply, the younger teenager says to him, "You're right that I don't know what it's really like to lose a blood relative or an entire clan all at once. But there is one thing you will never understand about me. You wouldn't know what it's like to lose a teacher. Someone who taught you how to live your life with pride, honor, dignity, and no regrets. And someone who always encouraged you in everything that you tried to do. You never really acknowledge Kakashi-sensei as your teacher and you killed Orochimaru. You don't have someone who you want acknowledgement from, and that is what makes us different."

Sasuke didn't take offense to his words. As if he finally got the control over his emotions to just sit there and listen to what the other person has to say, no emotion in response cross his face and he just sits there, watching the blonde to see if he has anything else to say. He doesn't and he doesn't try to make eye contact with the Uchiha at all. The ground is just so fascinating to him. However, just because Sasuke didn't say anything doesn't mean that internally Naruto's words didn't mean anything to him.

For now, the raven head just exhales and lifts the frozen treat to his mouth. Expecting words but receiving none, Naruto peaks up at the boy beside him and he sees Sasuke take a lick at the popsicle. In a way, it sort of surprised him to see the Uchiha not say anything but yet again, Sasuke's been saying nothing for a long time. It's just now, it feels different somehow. That and also Naruto knows of the guy's strong dislike of sweets.

"You're right I don't. Not anymore at least."

Naruto's eyes widen even more when he heard that. Surprisingly, he understood what he meant. _'Wait…Sasuke wanted acknowledgment from…'_

The raven head Uchiha lets out one more sigh before telling the blonde, "Finish your popsicle and lets go back. It's been a long day and I'm tired. I need sleep." Then he feels a slight weight on his shoulder. Caught a bit off guard, he looks down to see Naruto leaning against his shoulder as if asking for comfort from the teen. Sasuke doesn't say or do anything as the blonde took a moment before speaking to him again.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I really am glad we got you back."

After all of the stress, all of the silence, the stress, yelling, and the cruel words, Naruto is thanking him? It confused the Uchiha greatly. Weird how being on this bench with the hyperactive, knuckle-headed ninja now leaning on his shoulder, Sasuke feels as though that he really has been acting like a jerk to him. All Naruto wanted was his friend back and he went through hell to do it. Now he's going through more hell because Sasuke acted like he wanted nothing to do with him or the village. For someone like Naruto who first experienced his bond of brotherhood with him, the words spoken to him and the actions done to him must have hurt him more than any Kunai knife sharp enough could ever do. Yet instead of turning away from him, he's asking him for comfort and companionship at his worst.

This dope…really is annoying.

* * *

><p>Arriving back at the Uchiha manor, there were no flashbacks. Which was a great relief for Sasuke, proving that his hypothesis worked; but at the same time he felt as though if those flashbacks came back he wouldn't mind.<p>

"Goodnight, Sasuke," Naruto told the raven head before retiring into his room. All the Uchiha does is nod to him and then he turns around to head to his own room. That was his usual response but unlike all of the times before, at least Naruto can tell that Sasuke doesn't look as dead as he used to.

Both teens finished their frozen snack before they came back to the manor. Naruto wondered a bit why Sasuke was willing to eat such a sweet thing like a popsicle but to the Uchiha, he was just too hungry to really care what he ate as long as it was something. Plus, he really didn't feel like complaining about consuming such a thing. The back walk was as silent as the village around them. Only the continuing sounds of their footsteps on the ground were the only thing that disturbed their eerie but comfortable silence. Arriving at Sasuke's old, but really current home, the Uchiha half expected to see another memory when he first entered but there was nothing. Both of them didn't bother with a bath. They were just tired, physically and emotionally. They'll just deal with that in the morning. Now as they're saying their final farewells for the night, Naruto continues to watch Sasuke continue down the hallway to his room.

"You know, I really appreciate you coming out to look for me," Naruto says, stopping the Uchiha from walking. "There really is hope for you after all. Everyone always tried to say to me it was too late for you. That you left the village and was never going to return. Even Erosennin said it was hopeless. He told me that this world was not made for fools so I should make the smart decision and give up. But I told him that if that's what it means to be smart, I rather live my life as a fool. Funny isn't it?" By now, he must be smiling at Sasuke because when he spoke again, his voice sounds life and almost cheery yet still sad as he says, "He even threatened to make sure I never leave the village again if I didn't change my mind but he took me out to travel with him and he trained me. He became one of the first people to truly and completely believe in me. Just as I still believe in you."

Sasuke still just stands there frozen. He tries not to motionally react to Naruto's words but that doesn't mean they didn't affect him. Why is the blonde telling him all these things? It really is starting to get on his nerves, especially when he really doesn't need them right now.

For now, he just replies, "Get some rest, Naruto." He starts walking again, ready to accept the pleasant slumber he'll receive once he's in his room in bed. Still keeping his eyes on the duck-butt hair teenager, Naruto didn't lose his smile. He got a response. A normal, very Sasuke-like response. He's good for the night.

By the time Sasuke's hand raise up to his bedroom door to open it, he heard Naruto's room click shut. When that happened, he dropped his hand to his side and just stood there in front of his room for a good moment before deciding to change directions and walk to a different part of the house. He wasn't going to go far and he wasn't going to wonder. He's exhausted but he knows that he can't sleep, how he is right now. At least one thing for sure is he knows where he's going and where he's going is the one place that should, more than anything, make him feel the most irritated.

Walking to that one spot at the courtyard, not too far away from the front of the house, Sasuke approaches that favorite spot of his and his brother's. At first, he was expecting like some kind of memory to show up. Some other kind of useless thing that would just make him irritated of all the fake times he had with Itachi. But there was still nothing. What? They're not going to come unconsciously now? They're just going to come when Sasuke decides he wants to consider remembering his past?

What else is he supposed to do?

Sitting down with his legs dangling from the edge, he leans against the post and looks up at the night sky above. Up there, he can see every single spec of those sparkling stars. He heard a story long ago that stars are really the souls of those who have died and are watching over us. Even though he knows that stars are not really the souls of the dead, it was something he believed when he was a kid and now it's something he still wants to believe in. If his clan is watching over him, what would they think of him? Would they be proud that he avenged their death and brought glory to the Uchiha name? Would they claim him a true Uchiha for succeeding farther than they ever expected? Would they respect him as a powerful shinobi for being able to not only kill a Legendary Sannin but also their clan's prodigy?

Or would they be disappointed?

Murderer of the clan or not, Itachi was still Sasuke's older brother, his flesh and blood, and Sasuke killed him. It wasn't just for revenge. It was for self-defense as well. It was either going to be him or Sasuke. Itachi wanted Sasuke's eyes so he could save himself from blindness and be an even more powerful shinobi than Madara. He was pure evil and it wouldn't have mattered to him if he had killed Sasuke. And yet when Itachi had his chance as he still had his Susanno and Sasuke could no longer touch him, he didn't take the kill or the eye.

Why? Why didn't Itachi kill him? He had the chance. Sasuke was just standing there with his legs buckling in fear and instead, Itachi just pocked the frightened teen's forehead. Just like when they were younger and it always came before _'Forgive me, Sasuke. Maybe next time,'_ but…didn't he…say something…say something else?

Looking away from the stars, Sasuke didn't want to think about that now. He had been thinking about it for the past weeks on end and he had been trying to go over every possibility as to why Itachi didn't kill him and only poked him on the forehead. He had accepted long ago that the brother he thought he had never existed and that his brother was never going to treat him like how he used to. It was all an act. Just something to create the kind and compassionate big brother image. But Itachi did it with his dying breathe. It didn't add up.

It couldn't mean…it couldn't possibly mean, that by chance…that side of Itachi who Sasuke loved so much was real and still inside that body…could it? No. It was impossible. It had to be impossible!

And yet, why does Sasuke still grieve for that side of Itachi more than everyone else in his family?

"_**However, we only have each other as siblings. I'm always going to be there for you, even as an obstacle for you to overcome. Even if you do hate me…That's what big brothers are for."**_

'_Damnit!'_ Squeezing the edge of the hallway deck, Sasuke's knuckles turn white as he grips as hard as he can from his frustration and torn feelings. _'Why…why did it have to be an act?'_

For weeks, Itachi never left his mind. Sasuke felt emptiness when he thought about Itachi and no matter how hard he tried he could not get him out of his head. Itachi had been haunting his life since the day he killed their clan and he's been his reason for living all this time. From trying to live up to his accomplishments to hating him till there wasn't an ounce of love left in his body to prevent him from killing that man. But that's a lie. It was because he loved him that he hated him. Hate can only be born from love. The greater the love, the greater the hate.

But he's gone now and he left after leaving Sasuke in an emotional turmoil.

Why did he poke him? Why didn't he take the eyes and kill him? Was it because he knew that he only had three seconds to live so he decided to let his little brother live in despair of confusion of his actions? What would be the point of that? He pretty much fucked over Sasuke's life since he threw in the hat of his true thoughts and views. So what the hell was the point?

"What the hell was the freaking point, you bastard?"

'_All I ever wanted was to be closer to you. You were so far away. So out of my league. I wanted you to acknowledge me but all you ever did was push me away and say Forgive me. Forgive you for what? For never having the time of day for me? For killing the clan and scaring the shit out of me? For taking away my childhood and making me grow up faster than any kid should? For beating the crap out of me after you were gone for seven years? For making me abandon everything just so I could end your existence? Why? Why did you make me do it? Why couldn't you just kill me? NII-SAN!'_

It started to rain, but the sky isn't shedding tears. Sasuke is.

With his head down low, his hands still gripping the wooden floor he's sitting on, and rolling down his porcelain cheeks and dripping down his chin are silent, crystal clear tears; glistening like diamonds as they fall. For three years of suppressing emotions, he's crying. Of all emotional reactions to have first, it's crying. Not laughing or snapping at Naruto for doing something stupid. He hated this. His eyes feel hot, his throat is tightening, and every bit of angst, sorrow, pain, anger, and love that he's felt towards his brother are all breaking through his icy barrier he had around his emotions and they're making him remember bit by bit of what life was like before it was screwed over. The small precious moments like the memories he saw before, the smiles, the laughter, the small training sessions they actually had together, and the serious yet life-changing moments like their last serious talk they had where Sasuke sits right now. Coming back to this village, seeing familiar faces and receiving words of welcome, and being left completely alone in the last reminder of his old life – it turned the faucet on and now Sasuke has no choice but to allow these tears to run out of his eyes.

"Why…why couldn't you just kill me?...Why couldn't you…" _'Why couldn't you stay as the big brother I loved and admired?'_ "Nii-san…"

* * *

><p><strong>For some people, I swear to you all that this is not a flash fic with SasuNaru! I know that there are a lot of SasuNaru fans out there and probably believe that the actual anime is going to go that way but this one, it's not. This is my second non-yaoi story! Besides, the summary clearly states that this is a Sasuke and Itachi fic. A brotherly fic! Do not get confused with this chapter!<strong>

**But how was it? Bad? Good? Too rush? Not likely to happen, ever? Let me know. Till next time!**


	6. First Signs of Hate

**A/N: Hey, guys. Finally! I am done with this wretched chapter! At last! I know that I'm like two weeks late but I have been extremely busy. You have no idea! My next chapter might be late again but once I get my life back in order again, I swear that I will return to my weekly update on this story. I am reading and watching new Naruto stuff whenever I can and I am getting inspired by Naruto's encouraging, life changing speeches and Sasuke's never ending hatred. Plus your reviews as well.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto chapters or the story itself. If owned the story, I would make it something like this or along the line of this. Thank you all who have reviewed this story and waited very patiently for me to update. Thank you and enjoy!**

**PS, this might be a boring chapter but please bear with me.**

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><p>Ch. 5: First Signs of Hate<p>

"_I will avenge ero-sennin…I can't just sit here doing nothing."_

When Sasuke heard those words from the blonde, he didn't think too much about it. Sakura was obviously worried and both Kakashi and Tsunade look like they were calculating. Shikamaru, who was also there at the time, had the same face as Sasuke. That old toad, Fukasasku, however, looked a little more intrigued. As the toad sage was offering Naruto an opportunity to gain more power to defeat Pein, everyone else in the room could tell that Naruto was changing. He was still stupid him sometimes, but they can all see the hatred growing inside of him bit by bit. Every second that the other bodies of Pein were still alive and the only information they can get about this mysterious but powerful Akatsuki leader was 'the real one is not amongst them'. He's becoming anxious and two people in that room recognize instantly the dark path of revenge the blonde was about to walk on.

After that night when tears were shed for beloved and deceased mentors, Naruto and Sasuke were still 'dead' for a while. The Uchiha eventually went to sleep but he fell asleep on the veranda. Naruto was up, sort of, and he made instant ramen for both of them. That time together was like their walk back home. Silent and eerie but comfortable. They ate once in a while but most swirled the noodles in the hot soup and watch it sog away. Then Shikamaru came to the house and he brought life back into Naruto with a task of decoding a secret message left to him from Jiraiya – the same group of numbers that was on Fukasaku's back. Keeping to the mission given to Naruto, Sasuke was by Naruto's side the entire time they decoded Jiraiya's message. Shikamaru was uneasy and completely untrusting of the Uchiha. Plus, he was glaring at Sasuke at every opportunity he got when he had to look at him. Sasuke knows that Shikamaru not only doesn't trust him but also hates him. He couldn't blame him. After all, it was the Sasuke-retrieval mission that nearly killed his comrades and it was the first mission the Nara failed when he became a chunnin. Who wouldn't be angry at the guy who gave you complete and utter shame plus the risk of losing your closest friends?

Sasuke stayed in the background as Naruto worked. Watching him figuring out what the key to decoding the message was and then having to sit there and listen to Kakashi read off the lines of Jiraiya's boring ass book to understand the code. Though he has to admit that as boring as the lines of that book was, he almost felt bad for Kakashi to have to say those sentences out loud. That guy looked burned out from his complete and utter embarrassment, Shikamaru looked like he wanted to forget what just happened ever happened, and Sasuke wanted to push this memory in the far bank of his mind. That was just too much and it hurt the copy-nin's pride more than he could ever do alone.

'_The real one is not amongst them.'_ What did that mean? The message itself is pretty simple but does that mean that someone is using a puppet jutsu and the master is hiding somewhere else? Not likely since Fukasaku would have figured that out instantly. Yet the message states that whoever the real pain is, he's controlling six, or five now, Peins to do his dirty work. So find the real mastermind and kill him. But where is he and who is he, are the real questions here.

When Fukasaku offered Naruto the chance to learn sage jutsu, like Jiraiya before him, the blonde jumped at the chance. But then that brought up the issue of if Naruto was going far away, what would become of Sasuke? Who was going to watch him? To him, he didn't care. He wasn't going to leave Konoha, since in all honestly he has nowhere else to go, and it would just be too troublesome to try to leave and have everyone chase after him again. So if Naruto leaves for training, he'll stay behind and try to be the good little shinobi to assist in what he can – or just stay home and remain brooding all day. But for the day Naruto has to leave with the old toad sage, he stands beside Tsunade, Sakura, and Shikamaru at the front gates as Naruto says his goodbyes for now. All but Sasuke spoke up, wishing him luck on his training and how they'll take care of things while he's gone. He grinned and accepted them all.

Then his azure eyes land on the silent Uchiha and to him, he smirked as if in a challenge. "Again, Sasuke. Better not do anything while I'm gone." From his words and the combination of his face, he's really saying, 'I'm going to become stronger now, Sasuke and if you try anything bad, I'll come over, find you, and then beat your sorry ass.' What's so hard about just saying that?

"Hmpth," became Sasuke's only response. When he gave that response, it made Sakura look at him and smile. That was a very Sasuke response. The Sasuke she used to know.

Naruto identified that response as well and it just made the excitement inside grow ten folds. "Alright! Let's go!" Then he turns around to head on his journey. Instead of following him on his toad horse, Fukasaku just turns to watch him. The guy didn't even walk a good yard away before he turns to the old toad and asks, "Er, which way's Mount Myoboku again?" with a very stupid, Naruto expression on his face.

While Sakura slaps her hand against her massive forehead, Sasuke just grunts in his head, _'Typical.'_

"It takes a month to get there on foot," Fukasaku tells the spiky blonde. "N' as it's also known as Maze Mountain, if ya don't know the secret route ya won't be able to get there."

Naruto drops his shoulders and hung his head low when he heard that. "It's really that hard to get there?"

This is the boy that's going to avenge his master's death? There are now doubts.

"Naruto-boy," the old toad calls for his attention again, "ya already signed a binding contract with us toads. There's no need to worry." To prove his point, there is big puff of smoke for a moment and in his froggy hands is a giant scroll with names written in each column inside in blood plus their finger prints. Naruto's name is in the last column. Seeing that, Naruto recognizes that giant scroll easily as well as his own name.

"Oh! That's…!"

All of a sudden, something unexpected happens. Tsunade, who has been standing next to Sasuke this whole time, pushes him towards Naruto. It just happened so quickly and so much force that it almost looked like the Uchiha was flying at least a thread above the ground before he crashes into Naruto. If Sasuke had his guard up, he would have been prepared for this and not look as greatly confused as the guy who's helping him standing up right. The two of them only had a second to look at each other, expressing their confusion before Fukasaku turns to Tsunade to speak.

As he makes the giant scroll disappear, he says to her, "Well then, I'll be borrowing these boys."

She bows her head to him in respect and says, "We are in your dept."

Now the two of them are really confused.

"Huh? What the heck are you two-" But before Naruto could finish that thought…

_Poof_

They both disappear in a puff of smoke.

* * *

><p>In a place far, far away from the leaf village, a puff of smoke appears out of nowhere and when that smoke cleared, Naruto and Sasuke appear. As the smoke clears just a little more, Naruto instantly became amazed by what was around him. All around him, he sees brilliant colors of all different shades shining under the bright sun. Everything just looks so surreal. There are giant red mushrooms with yellow pokadots, huge heart-shape leaf plants that are ten times bigger than how they usually are, and toads resting on almost every one. There are what might be towers that almost look like the end side of a caterpillar's chrysalis, big crystal blue lakes, and tall mountains. This place just looks so rich and beautiful but it almost looks like something that popped out of kid's cartoon show. Naruto is just stunned and fascinated with everything that he sees. Sasuke, on the other hand, coughs for a moment before waving his hand around to clear up the smoke even more before he decides to look.<p>

"What the? This place is amazing!" Naruto exclaims, finally taking it all in. But while he looks like he just entered paradise, Sasuke is looking around with a raised brow.

All he could think is, _'I'm surrounded by toads…'_

Soon another puff of smoke appears and this time it's Fukasaku and his faithful toad steed. When he arrives, he sees Naruto's dumbstruck behavior and he would have snickered at it. But he's seen that face before, on Jiraiya when he first arrive at Mount Myoboku. He was expecting to see that same face on Sasuke but to his disappointment, he looked more weirded out than anything.

"Naruto!"

Hearing that loud booming voice, all attention is turned to the sky to see a huge toad falling from the sky. When he landed, Naruto recognizes the toad easily and so does Sasuke from before.

"Gamakichi!" Just then, Naruto sees something at the corner of his eye and when he looks, he finally notices Sasuke. "Augh! What are you doing here, teme?"

Was this idiot so fascinated with the new scenery that he didn't notice the extra passenger to this frog mountain? More than it should, that just makes Sasuke rather irritated, especially since he doesn't know why he has to be here all of a sudden!

"That is something I would like to know, dope."

Instead of arguing with him, Naruto takes a different approach to what he just heard. Did Sasuke just call him 'dope'? He hasn't called him that in the last three years. Even when they met again at Orochimaru's hideout or when they got him back. The blonde actually never expected the Uchiha to call him that so soon.

Then they hear Gamakichi answer Naruto's question, "You're both here because I summoned you. A reverse summoning, and because you were in touching contact with him, I was able to summon you here as well, Sasuke."

Well that explains it_(in all honestly, I don't know if that would work but I do need Sasuke to be with Naruto so please bear with me!)_. Being distracted with his response, Naruto gets over his surprise and replies, "I see. Neat." Then he goes back to screaming and yelling as he points to Sasuke while asking, "But WHAT is he doing here?" Sasuke glares at him for that.

This time, Fukasaku explains, "I had a talk with Tsunade-sama. She thought it would be betta if Naruto-boy was still fulfilling his mission on watchin' ova the Uchiha-kid." Makes sense, to Naruto. But to Sasuke, he notices something else. Tsunade should know that Naruto isn't the only one possibly capable of keeping an eye on him and it really looks like she doesn't trust Sasuke to be alone in the village. Why is that?

Plus, does he really have to be in a land full of toads and sunshine? They didn't even let him pack up for this little trip.

When one idea hits Naruto, he asks, "You're not going to teach him sage jutsu are ya? This guy's already too strong without it." Good grief…

"He's not in contract with us, so no," Fukasaku replies. "We're here to train you. Just think of im like a part of ya luggage. Before we start trainin', let's fill our stomachs first. Come along."

Part of the luggage? That thought actually made Sasuke a little irritated with that old toad as he's hopping away on his toad/horse. He's not luggage! He's an Uchiha for cripes sake, and the last one let's not forget! While he has a stink face for being called a luggage, Naruto has one for the fact that now he has Sasuke with him on his training. Wonderful.

* * *

><p>What was more wonderful was the food being presented before the two teens!<p>

On the table in Fukasaku's house, there is giant roasted cricket kabobs, a purple bug soup with fat caterpillars and long cricket legs, and what might be worm spaghetti. Everything looks fresh, hot, and above all, disgusting. Naruto looks like he might die where he sits while Sasuke is just staring at the food in curiosity.

The old female toad, who they learn is Shima, exclaims to them cheerily, "Now eat up yer fill! I put extra effort into makin' this meal!" While Naruto's eyes are practically glued to the frog-edible food, Sasuke observes Shima as she brings over a tray of what might be white caterpillar dumplings. "Now, now, don't be shy. Try the caterpillars. Good thin' I made extra." Fukasaku, he's just stuffing his face with his wife's cooking.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto whispers, leaning over to his friend. "Do you think we can talk our way out of this?"

"I wouldn't." When Naruto retracted back at the shock of his rival's remark, he stares in more shock that Sasuke reaches over to the white caterpillar dumplings and he does the most shocking thing known to mankind. He calmly and without hesitation takes a bite out of it. While Naruto's skin is crawling as he watching Sasuke easily chew that 'food' without any complication at all, he swallows before making the comment, "It's a lot better than Orochimaru's food."

'_What the hell?'_ Naruto practically screams in his head. He could not believe! While the raven head is now calmly eating the food before him, Naruto looks back at his own food and now he just feels sick to his stomach. Maybe he can get out of this by saying that he doesn't feel well. But if he does that, then Shima probably has some kind of bug recipe for upset stomach and his training would be postponed due to his 'sickness'. Let's not go there…

Eventually, Naruto took the risk and ate the food. He figures that if Sasuke can easily eat the food, then so can he! He wasn't about to let the Uchiha beat him out about every single thing like when they were young. But after lunch time and when they were all at the training spot, which is in front of a waterfall of brown water plus countless statues of giant stone frogs that appear to be praying, Naruto is kneeling over in pain of his stomach while everyone else is standing perfectly fine and not barfing the food they just consumed.

"Ma will have a fit if she sees you like this," Fukasaku notes, seeing the boy suffer from a terrible stomach ache.

Naruto turns to him to say, "I forced it all down, didn't I?" Yes, he did. All in order to have energy for whatever kind of intense training he has to face and to prove that he could handle it just like Sasuke – who he still can't believe can digest all of that stuff!

"When yer hungry, yer belly isn't choosy. You'll get used to it in time."

Naruto's only thought on that is, _'By that time…I'll no longer be a human being.'_

"But ey, Uchiha-boy!" Fukasaku calls. "Yer able to eat ma's cooking no problem. Do ya want to change yer contact and form one with us?"

"No," he replies. "I only ate the food on account of survival. Nothing else."

On account of survival? To hell with that!

"There is no way you're human if you were able to eat all of that just fine, teme!" Naruto yells out. What happened to his stomach ache?

"Insects are high in protein and nutrients, Naruto. Most of the human population eats insects anyway and when you are on a verge of life and death in an unfamiliar territory, the smart things to eat in the wild are insects."

"What the hell has Orochimaru turned you into? A food critic?" Naruto yells, really getting enough of all of this unnatural crap.

"Enough, bot of ya!" Fukasaku yells to gain their attention again. "Geez, Tsunade-chan and Kakashi-boy should have warned me about yer yapping. I would a ben more prepared. Also, this is not the time to be arguing. Naruto-boy, it's time you learn what sage jutsu is if we wish to being yer training."

Standing straight up ready to go, Naruto jumps to his feet and responds, "Yes, sir!" Seriously, where did his stomach ache go?

And so his training begins, starting with an explanation on the difference between the regular chakra used to create ninjutsu versus the nature chakra. Sasuke wasn't too surprised that Gamakichi had to use an example of a vanilla, chocolate, mint ice cream to help the blonde understand. It really is nothing new but his intelligence level could've at least improved over the last three years. He didn't blame Fukasaku for getting frustrated enough to just go ahead and give a demonstration. Naruto was more of a visual learning from day one. But when the Uchiha saw the tiny toad frog lift up a hundred ton toad statue, he was just as amazed as Naruto was – even when he didn't show it as obvious as the blonde. If Naruto was going to learn sage jutsu to be able to do something like that, it slightly caught Sasuke's attention. But when he saw Naruto turning into a toad from the toad oil…

"If a neophyte who cannot control nature energy uses it, they start transformin' into a frog."

When Naruto looks at the arm he stuck out to be exposed to the toad oil, he looks utterly confused that his normal arm started to resemble that of a toad with huge warts and fins between each of his fingers. But then when he looks into the reflection of the oil, he sees that on half of his face his eye has turned horizontal oval shape with a horizontal pupil and his face looks swollen with the corner of his lip curling downward. The second he sees all of this, he burst out screaming at the top of his lungs.

"AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!"

Forget about wanting to learn sage jutsu. If it risks looking like that, Sasuke sure as hell doesn't want to.

"Wh-Wh-What the hell is this?" Naruto yells, practically to his own reflection. Then he jumps up and starts freaking out. "Ah! Help!" Then he rushes over to Sasuke, grabs his collar, and pleads with tears leaking out of his eyes, "Help me, Sasuke! I don't wanna be a frog!"

_Wack_

Because of all of the commotion he was making, Fukasaku took that chance to summon what appears to be a black thick stick and he wacks the back of Naruto's head with it. Gamakichi sighs when he sees all of this as Sasuke finally takes the chance to push the screeching blond off of him.

"Get off me, dope." But when he pushes Naruto away, he instantly sees the reason to why Fukasaku hit him instead of for just being loud.

"Ow…Both of you! What's the big idea?" However, as Naruto rubs the back of his head, now throbbing with pain, he feels something different about his hand. Looking at it, it's back to normal. "I'm me again."

Fukasaku goes back to explaining again. About of the balance between the three energies in order to perform sage jutsu and the heavy price it risks. Sasuke wasn't as surprise as Naruto was when he heard that all of the statues that they're surrounded with are those who tried to master nature energy but obviously failed. There are things in this world that not everyone is meant to learn or master. It's the same as when they were preteens and Naruto wanted to learn Chidori when obviously he wasn't a lightning chakra nature. Or when Itachi explained to him on how some Uchihas were unable to gain the Mangekyo Sharingan even when they killed their best friend.

"Well…Don't fret too much," Fukasaku reassures, waving his stick around. "I'll be right by yer side. This baton is a tool that beats nature energy right out of one's body. If ya start transformin' into a frog, Naruto-chan, I'll beat ya thoroughly to reverse it."

Now that is something that causes Sasuke to raise a brow about. In order to make sure that Naruto doesn't become a frog is to hit him in the head. Interesting…

"If you like, I will like to volunteer for that job."

When he offered that, Naruto sharply turns to the Uchiha and lets out, "Ugh? Sasuke?" in his surprise of hearing what he think he just heard.

Explaining himself a little more, "If I'm supposed to be staying here, I would like to use my time more efficient instead of just watching this dope turn into a toad all day. I'll make sure he doesn't and get him back for always complaining to me ever since I returned." Also seeing how old Fukasaku is and how tired he instantly became after lifting up a giant statue, the old toad sage will probably throw out his back or something making sure that Naruto stays normal. If Sasuke does this, then it'll be no problem.

But Naruto wasn't too happy to hear that. "Teme, are you trying to pick a fight?"

"You don't have time to be looking for one, dope."

"Um, actually…"

Turning their attention from each other to the biggest toad here, Gamakichi looks uneasy and a bit nervous about something but he says, "Sasuke, I would like to talk to you."

Well that's unexpected.

After saying that, Gamakichi turns around and starts hopping away to the other side of their training area – far enough to make sure no one else will be listening. Both Naruto and Sasuke are confused about the giant orange toad's invitation but the Uchiha decides to follow him anyway.

"Don't turn into an amphibian on me, dope." Turning around, he walks away but that only allows Naruto to yell at his back.

"Frogs are reptiles, teme!"

"We're amphibians," Fukasaku corrects.

Leaving the two to continue training, or for Fukasaku to ask Naruto to strip, Gamakichi and Sasuke walk all the way to the other side of the training grounds that made Naruto look like a speck of yellow in the distance. That's good because then he won't be able to hear their conversation.

"What is it?" Sasuke asks, facing the huge toad. Looking up at him, the Sharingan user can still see the uneasiness and the nervousness in the frog's eye but he can also see seriousness and determination as well.

"Well, ya see…" he starts before taking the moment to collect his thoughts and words. "I just want to know how you feel towards Naruto." Unexpected thing number two. Now Sasuke is a little more intrigue until he hears the question, "Do you still want to kill him or do you want to heal the bonds you claimed to have severed all those years ago?" So that's how it is. This is one of _those_ talks. "I've watch Naruto over the years you've been gone. You have no idea what he's been through in order to get stronger so he could bring you back home. If how you're acting right now is a trick of any kind and you plan to backstab him, I'll-"

"You can be rest assured, Gamakichi," Sasuke interrupts, really not wanting to hear the rest of this threat that will strike him no fear or distress. He calmly and blankly replies, "At the moment, I don't know how I feel about him. Only that he's annoying. First he searches the world for me and now I'm here listening to him hollering about being turned into a frog. It's getting on my nerves. But I will say that at the moment, I don't feel like doing any of those two things you asked of me."

Gamakichi seems to understand this and he nods. "I see. Though as his friend and maybe the only person who can understand him right now, did you notice about how he made his declaration on defeating Pein?"

When he asked that, Sasuke gained a little bit of seriousness in his eyes as well. He knows what he's talking about and yes, he did notice it. It was small and possibly only a one-time flicker but it was there. For one moment, Sasuke saw the darkness he never thought Naruto to have appears in his eyes. Hatred he didn't know the blonde could possessed.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in Amegakure, in a secret meeting room, three people sit in long chairs – Konan, Madara, and Pein.<p>

"You seem to be struggling," Madara notes, looking with his one Sharingan eye at the Akatsuki leader.

He replies, "We had an unexpected inquisitor."

"For unstoppable, all-knowing Pein to have had his hands full means Jiraiya must have lived up to his reputation."

"But we took care of him," Pein reminds the lollipop masked man. "We can go right now to hunt the Kyuubi, and your little Uchiha survivor."

From the mask hole, Madara narrows his eyes at the leader's daring behavior. However, if Pein wasn't fearless and willing to challenge Madara, what kind of Akatsuki leader would he be? "Because you vanquished Jiraiya, Konoha will set their eyes on you. The more time passes, the more likely they'll set some plan in motion to protect their precious jinchuriki and their last Sharingan. Go now before it becomes too difficult."

But with confidence in her stoic voice, Konan tells him, "Pein is invincible. No matter what'll happens, he **will** capture them both."

Turning to look at her now, Madara says, "There are only two jinchurikis left. I have sent Kisame after Hachibi, along with his new subgroup."

Now with caution, "Are you sure we can trust them?"

"I will vouch for them. They wouldn't dare betray Akatsuki if they wish to _save_ their precious comrade." Then with that, he heads to the door. Meeting abjured.

"Konan, get things ready." Standing up as well, five figures come out from behind a curtain Pein was sitting in front of. When he stands up completely, the five figures come out into the light to stand by his side and they are all of the Six Paths of Pein. "We're heading out to Konoha."

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><p><strong>DONE! Finally!<strong>

**I know, I know, this chapter was boring. But I have a reason for doing this! Plus, homework is taking away all of my creativity. What else am I supposed to do?**

**Though how was it? Bad? Good? I'm not copyrighting, again! Let me know if I am though. Till next time!**


	7. Believing is Ludicrous

**A/N: Ello, everyone! I think I'm starting to get my school schedule organized now since I was able to update YOMO and this story. Hoorah! Now then, I have a feeling that this chapter is a little boring but I have a purpose for this chapter. The next one will be more entertaining. I swear!**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, Sasuke wouldn't be making me cry every time I see him and Itachi wouldn't make me wanna hit him across the head. I have a very good reason for that! Thank you for those who have reviewed and read this story and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>Ch. 6: Believing is Ludicrous<p>

As Sasuke could hear more and more of Naruto's cries of pain each time Fukasaku hit him in the head with his baton, the young Uchiha is sitting on a slab of stone on top of the very point of the sharp mountain rocks as he's reading a book. In his hands, he's reading the first book Naruto's master had ever written. _The Tale of a Gutsy Ninja_. The title itself sounded lame but as Sasuke is getting more and more into the story, it's really not as boring as some of his other books.

After his talk with Gamakichi, the orange toad gave him the book to read. It was his copy but he's willing to let Sasuke borrow it to utilize his time in Mount Myoboku. He also told him about the pointy rock mountains that they use for training. Eventually, Naruto would have to go there once he's able to gather nature energy without the toad oil. So for the mean time, Sasuke may use it for his leisure. But there was one thing that Gamakichi said to him before Sasuke left for those mountains.

"_Those mountains will be good for you."_

"_Why do you say that?"_

"_I'd notice something from the first moment I met you. You're extremely off balance within yourself. Something is tearing you up inside and you're not doing anything about it. Those mountains will help you find your inner peace. Call it training since a shinobi will not be useful in battle without a clear head and a stable mind."_

Sasuke would have rejected to that idea, but that's what he would have done if he was anything like how he was when he first came back to Konoha. He knows now that he's unbalanced within himself. Stability is definitely what he needs right now, and when was the last time he meditated? Before he would meditate for hours when he was with Orochimaru. Now, not counting all of the times when he was staring out into space, he hasn't done it in months.

As it took hours of Naruto trying to gather the nature energy, it took just as long till Sasuke was finally able to stay stable on the slab.

* * *

><p><em>Few hours ago…<em>

Falling forward, Sasuke leaned forward. Going back, he leaned back. To the side, he leaned that way. Leaned to the other side, he leaned that way as well. It's only been ten second of sitting still and Sasuke is starting to have trouble balancing himself on this stone slab again!

"Damn," he curses under his breath, trying to stay sturdy. _'What the hell is wrong with this thing? Why isn't this working?'_

"Ya can't be still if ya can't stay focused!"

That wasn't Gamakichi or Fukasaku.

Since he's going to be falling off the stupid thing anyway, Sasuke leaps off from the slab, causing it to fall to the ground twenty feet below him as he glides down effortlessly and in one peace to the ground. Standing not too far away from him and being the one who called out to him is Shima, Fukasaku's wife. In her hand she has a basket that's probably full of the ingredients for tonight's dinner and on her face is the look of a teacher about to lecture a child.

"If ya wanna stay steady, ya gotta learn to be focused. Ya need to find yur center balance and become one with nature."

No wonder those two married. They sound exactly the same.

Standing up straight, Sasuke tells the female toad below, "I'm not trying to learn sage mode, Shima."

"That has nothin to do with stayin balanced," she tells him. "Now then, yur the Uchiha kid, right?" Sasuke nods. "Then yur the one who killed his brother."

Sasuke didn't show any kind of reaction to the old toad's words but it causes a small pause to be filled between the two of them. It's really no surprise that she knows. It's been almost two months since then and when the news of Orochimaru's death was heard by everyone else, that only took one or two days. He replies, "That is correct."

"Why did ya kill yur own flesh and blood?"

"Because he killed my clan. It's only right that his life shall pay the price for their loss."

"Revenge, huh? Such a sad life."

What did she say? At that time, Sasuke's finger twitched at his side when he heard that and his eyes narrow down almost to a glare. Feeling that bit of irritation that began to tingle in his blood, he asks her, "Sad, is it? What do you know? Have you lost your entire family? You wouldn't understand."

Why is he still repeating the same words over and over again? He almost sounds like a broken record player for having to tell everyone that they don't understand the true meaning of loss and they never will unless they lose exactly what he's lost.

"But Naruto-chan does?"

She didn't get a response when she asked that. It's like now Sasuke is refusing to say a word to her. She should have known that she would get a response like that from him. Her husband did mention about his lone-wolf, stoic attitude. Sighing, she tells him, "I may not know what you went through, but I do know what happens to those who chose revenge. They become sad creatures with no purpose. No balance. Since the day you decided to live a life of revenge, have ya once been happy about it?" He blinked when he heard that one. A small reaction and it might've become unnoticeable but for someone like him, it's proof that what she said just now struck home. Or at least third base. "You didn't have any, then that proves mah point. If ya have, that just proves mah point even more."

"What are you talking about?" he asks.

"I'm tellin' you to remember what life was like when you were happy. That happiness…that peace is yur center balance. That moment you realize that, then you can balance yourself." Now that she's said her peace, she turns the other direction and starts hopping away. "See you at the house with a big dinner waiting for ya!"

Sasuke watches her as she hopes away into the distance. Once she was out of sight, he's left with the opportunity to 'pfft' at her words. "Ridiculous."

What happiness? What peace? Since the day he lost his family, Sasuke never had anything like that. Except maybe…when he became a member of Team 7. Before, he was so easily tempered and thought everything was beneath him. He was power hungry and he thought everything was just a waste of his time or just one obstacle that had to become overcome in order to reach his goal. But when he became a gennin, he learned the meaning of teamwork. How he needed the support and skills of others as they needed him. That was something he had not forgotten when he created Team Hebi. He needed their skills to find Itachi and in a way, they needed him to keep their stability, to have a reason to leave a hell hole, or for their own selfish gain. Teamwork was all about using each other to get the job done. But when he was with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi, it was about using each other but it was also something a lot more than that. Something he clearly forgotten about.

Was that time with them happiness? Was that…a sense of peace?

Again, ridiculous.

Sasuke just needs to clear his head and focus. Just forget about everything and let the world pass you by. Just let go. That's the real trick to meditation.

* * *

><p>Then grabbing one more stone slab, Sasuke was able to stay in balance on top of those mountains. Just let go and block all emotions. Forget everything and think of nothing. Just breathe. Once he was able to get that mastered, he could sit quietly and read the book. One would think that if you're trying to clear your mind and focus on that nothingness, a book is a very big distraction. But it's not a problem if you continue to focus on nothing as you take in the new information being presented in front of you.<p>

However, the book is something that makes Sasuke react in more ways than one.

At long last, Sasuke is on the last page and he's reading the part of the main character making his grand finale speech about his yearning for peace and prosperity in the world and how he's going to be the one to change the world in order for it to happen. The stone slap twitches a bit but Sasuke still remains stable on the point. How can a character, especially one known as 'Naruto', change in the world through the guts of never being able to give up? That just makes you a fool. There are some things that people can do and many things that people cannot do no matter how hard they try.

Shutting the book once he read the very last word, Sasuke mumbles, "Ridiculous," then his slap leans back and he starts falling backwards. He knew he was going to fall anyway but at least now he's done with the stupid book. Forget the part that it wasn't as boring as Jiraiya's porn books. It was as boring as hell and it was a definite waste of Sasuke's time.

Just like when Shima was there when he fell the first time, Sasuke once again falls with style. While the slab lands on the ground and disperses into multiple pieces, he flips and lands gracefully on his feet just like a cat.

"Yo!"

Looking up he sees Gamakichi standing not too far away from him. Amazing how all these frogs can just pop out of nowhere without him noticing. His skills must be lacking.

The giant orange toad says to him, "I came to check on ya. As entertaining as it is to watch Naruto get wacked, it gets boring after a while. How was the book? Good, yeah?"

Good? Hardly.

"It bored me to tears," is all Sasuke tells him before tossing the book back to the toad. He caught it no problem. "I don't understand why you made me read it."

Noticing what Gamakichi's personality must be like from all the times before, it's a little surprising to not hear the toad suddenly scream and howler about the book being boring and how Sasuke didn't understand the true meaning behind the story. Instead, he apparently decides to take the mature route. Screaming like Naruto is not going to get anything through this guy. "_-sigh-_ I should have known you wouldn't have understood it right off the back."

Understood it? What was there to be understood? The character was the corny and the story was highly unrealistic.

"Understand what exactly?" Sasuke asks, his voice almost sounding like a harsh blizzard in the Land of Snow. "What was the point of reading such a story?"

"Well, have you ever wanted the world to be in peace?" Oh so that's why. A peace-maker lecture, or a peace-attempter. Instead of interrupting the toad to stop him from talking anymore, Gamakichi was able to continue saying, "How the world is now, there's still fighting and conflict at every corner we turn. People just can't live together and be happy. They're always in pain and it affects everyone around them. When Jiraiya-sama wrote that book, he hoped that the world would wake up and realizes the mistakes they've made that have made the world the way it is. But people like you didn't get it and continue to cause pain to others. The only way to get these people to change is to make them believe that change is possible."

Believe? Why that's…

"Heh," Sasuke lets out hearing that. "What do you mean believe? It's ludicrous for people to believe in such a thing and it's idiotic for the main character in that book to believe that peace is even possible in this messed-up world. Peace is just a fantasy we dream about in our sleep. It's impossible to achieve and people would never believe in such impracticable thing."

"Just because you don't believe in anything anymore doesn't mean that everyone else has to live like you!" And there. Gamakichi loses his cool and snaps at the Sharingan user. When he did that, Sasuke became a little bit on edge. He should have suspected this attitude to happen sooner or later. Just not so soon. Still, he stands there as the chief toad's son takes a moment to regain his composure and try to act mature for this guy. "We've all heard the story about your little life, Sasuke. We know what you've been through and we know that because of those events, you don't believe in things like love, friendship, or peace because you think that nothing is absolute. You don't believe in anything anymore."

With sharpness in his voice, Sasuke asks, "Is that so wrong? Is it not right for me to think like that?"

"Yes, it is wrong! At this moment, Naruto understands the pain of losing your most precious person but before then, he understood the loneliness he had to go through with no parents to take care of him and nothing but the villagers' hatred pointed right at him. But did he give up? Naruto never gave up on anything. Not on his dream, not on his morals, and definitely not on his comrades." There it goes again. How many times do these people have to keep telling Sasuke over and over that Naruto never gave up on him when everyone else did? This is really starting to piss him off. How many times do people have to tell him things like they're a broken record? Calming down again, Gamakichi tells him once more, and really hoping the last, "Look, I'm not asking you to change your ways right here, right now. But I will say that in order to live, you have to believe in something. You need a drive to keep you going and a reason to keep that heart of yours pumping. If you won't believe in the chance of peace between the five nations, then at least believe in Naruto because he's as close to peace as we're going to get. He is the child of prophecy and thus, he will change this world for a better and brighter future."

"Child of Prophecy?" Sasuke asks. Fukasaku mentioned something like that before but at the time, Naruto had just blown Sasuke off in the Hokage's office and the Uchiha was caught off guard with that attitude that the only words he could really register were the words being spoken directly to him. Now that Gamakichi is mentioning them, what exactly does this Child of Prophecy mean? And why does it have to concern Naruto?

_Bam! Crash!_

When Gamakichi and Sasuke heard that, instantly they turn to the source of the sound and they see a cloud of dust flying up from where Naruto and Fukasaku should be training. They didn't have to say a word to each other. Something happened and they leap into a sprint to find out what caused that cloud. Though when they arrive, they see several giant frog statues lying on the ground and Naruto freaking out that they all fell like dominos. Don't say that he actually did all of that? But yet again, it wouldn't be that much of a surprise.

"That doofus…" Gamakichi tries to calm his anger but it wasn't working. With a vein pulsing on his head he yells to the blonde below, "Oi, Naruto! How dare you treat your predecessor with such disrespect!"

Rather it wasn't a surprised or it was to see those statues all knocked over and Naruto being the cause, it doesn't change one important thing. Naruto is indeed getting stronger. In only a few hours, he no longer looks like he's going to turn into a big fat toad and he was able to do what Fukasaku demonstrated. Sure the blonde still has a few warts on his body and he still has the eyes of a toad, but he's mastering Nature energy. From how Fukasaku talked about it, Naruto has done something spectacular that even Sasuke has to at least acknowledge.

This knucklehead…this pathetic moron that wouldn't shut up about becoming hokage and family…this so called child of prophecy, might be living up to his expectations after all.

Hearing him from up above, Naruto jumps when he sees, "Gamakichi! Sasuke!" Though when the blonde has his eyes on the Uchiha, he yells out, "Teme, where the hell have you been? Were you trying to escape or something? I'm supposed to be watching over you!"

Though of course, Sasuke will never say that out loud.

Sasuke raises his voice loud enough for Naruto to hear, "I wasn't trying to leave. I was trying to find some peace and quiet from all of your crying." Then he leaps into the air so he could glide all the way down to the ground without any trouble, as always. He lands a few feet away from Naruto and as he says, "But you're so loud, it was impossible to find one."

"What?" Now with his own vein pulsing on his forehead for hearing that, Naruto grips his fist together and dares, "Teme, are you really trying to pick a fight with me?"

But all Sasuke can reply to that is, "You're still incredibly dense as usual, dope."

"All right, you two! Enough!"

Looking to the side to the smaller toad, Fukasaku has his arms crossed in front of his chest as he orders, "Nartuo-boy, put all the toppled stones back in place."

At the sound of that, Sasuke turns around and starts walking away. "Have fun, idiot."

Naruto was sure happy to have heard that…

"Are you serious?"

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><p><strong>And there we go. As you can see, my only purpose for this chapter was for Sasuke to get lectured about him not believing in anything. I bet that if he had believed in something from the start, he would have been much better off!<strong>

**But how was this? Boring like I thought? Interesting? What? Let me know. See ya next week, hopefully!**


	8. It Has Begun

**A/N: Hello, people! I completed this chapter last week and now that the new chapter is up, I'm updating. But just to let you know, I read the new chapter and I am freaking out!**

**OH MY GOD! I WAS RIGHT, AGAIN! Hitoko-sama-chan, I was right with my latest theory! Well, at least half of it but still! OH. MY. GOD!**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. I would say I wish I did, but after the latest chapter, I'm not too sure now. But anyway, I would still have Sasuke good, hopefully he still is secretly. Thank you for the reviews so far and please keep them coming. I love everyone of them and they give me so much inspiration! Thank you and please enjoy!**

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><p>Ch. 7: It Has Begun<p>

Since that little statue incident, Sasuke has been watching Naruto very closely. From his attempts at taking in nature energy without toad oil to trying to meditate on those pointy mountains, Sasuke has been staying off to the background with Gamakichi and they both watch as Naruto would get wack again or would be nearly falling off those mountains. Sasuke didn't volunteer for the job of wacking the guy before they went to the mountains this time. He just wanted to observe Naruto's development from the sidelines. If this guy is supposed to be the bringer of peace, an actual peace, then Sasuke wants to see it with his own eyes.

Seeing is believing, they always say. But the Uchiha would never admit that for the sake of his pride.

However, there are some things he can admit to himself. Like in such a short amount of time, Naruto's progress on the Sage Jutsu is impressive. It took hours for Sasuke to at least stay stable on the stone slab long enough for him to read a book but Naruto was able to stay completely still just by finding his own center balance. Then his new form for Sage Mode went from warts to nothing but toad eyes. Gamakichi mentioned to the Uchiha that he had suppressed his master but of course the expressionless guy only just huffed to the very words.

Then at night when everyone was supposed to be asleep, Sasuke followed Naruto when he snuck out and thought no one would notice. He watched from the shadows how that guy was throwing some new jutsu Sasuke had never seen him use before all over the place. He gathered nature chakra and started throwing that jutsu around like some kind of shuriken. It may have looked like a shuriken but for it to have cut an entire mountain, he shouldn't be using it as a toy.

However, watching Naruto accomplish all these things and put in all this extra training when he should be resting his body, he's doing all of this to gain power. That's the thought that passes through the Uchiha's mind as he stood behind a pillar not too far from where Naruto was performing his weird jutsu in the middle of the night. All this guy is doing is gaining power to kill the man who took something precious to him. Nothing else, from what Sasuke could see. In a way, it reminds him of himself. He was like that. Gaining power all in order to kill Itachi. He didn't do it to protect anyone. Only to kill, and he accomplished it. So why is he trying to find some sort of answer from a guy who is supposed to be a bringer of peace when he's doing the exact same thing the avenger was doing? What kind of peace bringer is he?

How can Naruto be a peace-bringer in the first place? The guy is a moron. Always had been and always will be. But yet again, about every person that guy meet had changed for the better because of him. Sasuke heard about what happened to Chiyo of the Sand when the Kazekage was abducted by the Akatsuki, the very Kazekage who Naruto defeated and helped mentally three years ago, and Sasuke may not know exactly what happened at the Land of Waves but there was Zabuza who realized how much exactly Haku was to him. Those were the major people that Naruto helped out since he became a Shinobi but he also brought hope and strength to the Land of Waves and he opened the eyes of his own village to realize just how strong of a shinobi he really is. He made people believe in him and trust him with everything that they got, including their own future. He changed so many people and the pathetic part?

He's starting to change Sasuke as well.

* * *

><p>As Naruto is running through the land of Mount Myoboku, he's trying to gather Nature energy while moving at the same time. However as he's running and trying to take in the energy, his face enlarges and widens. He's turning into a frog again. Before his transformation could go any further, Sasuke appears right by his side and with a wack of the head with Fukusaku's baton, Naruto instantly turns back to normal and he goes sliding across the floor from the impact.<p>

"Ow!" the blonde cries. As Fukasaku is desperately trying to hop to the two teenagers to catch up, Sasuke feels a little pleased with himself to finally be able to use the baton to hit the knucklehead.

Now, things are getting interesting.

Once the old toad has caught up with them, Fukasaku says to Sasuke, "Thanks…Sasuke-boy…Yur pretty…fast…" while panting. At the moment, he's pretty close to exhaustion from running around all over the place since they found out that him merging with Naruto is impossible thanks to the tailed beast inside of the boy.

Sasuke doesn't reply to him. He's keeping his eyes on the spiky haired blonde who is now starting to gain an angry aura all around him.

"Teme…" The ramen-loving shinobi shoots up from the ground and starts yelling at his comrade, "What the hell are you trying to do? Are you trying to give me brain damage?"

"Your brain is already damaged, dope. I'm just following the instructions on hitting you as soon as I see signs of toad," he calmly replies, as always. _'And they're for all the stress you've been causing me since I've been with you,'_ he, however, thought.

Then Fukasaku cuts in, "Sasuke-boy is doing me a great favor, Naruto-boy. You're so stubborn that in my old age, I'm still following you around when I no longer have the strength to keep up with ya in time to stop the transformation. You need to be more considerate." Old toad speaks the truth.

"Are you kidding me? This guy is enjoying it!" Naruto yells in protest. Why must this guy always be so loud?

Sasuke simply says to him, "If you don't like how I'm doing his job then give him a break. Look at him, dope."

He does and Naruto sees how exhausted the old toad really looks. Droplets of sweat pouring down his face like he's a melting cube of ice, body dirtied and slouching with fatigue, and a look that really makes him fifty years older.

But the guy argues anyway, "But I can't take a break now! We have to keep going to make up for the time we spent training until now!"

Amazingly with some energy left, Fukasaku speaks up, "Look, you've never had this kind of training before. To run and gather nature energy, for which the foundation is being still, is like telling you to look left when you're looking right."

Several blank seconds passed by after he said that. Sasuke was half expecting Naruto to burst out and say something immediately but it looked like something clicked inside that tiny brain of his. Then all of a sudden, he does burst out saying something.

"That's it!"

Fukasaku looks a little confused as Sasuke just raises a brow to the blonde's weird outburst. "What is it?" the old toad asks. But the blonde just appears to be in gaping shock a few seconds longer.

Really. What the heck just happened?

"Ya kids appear to be havin' fun."

That wasn't either of them.

Looking to the side, all three guys see Shima hoping towards them with an empty basket in her arms. Looking at all three of them, two of them extremely dirty while the other appears completely fine, Shima is a little proud to see her boys working so hard. "I'm off to get supplies for dinner again. Sasuke-boy, I want ya to help me out."

It became Naruto's turn to raise the brow when he heard that. Why would Shima want to have Sasuke help him out of all people? To the last Uchiha survivor, however, he has a feeling he knows why Shima asked for him. Raising the baton once more, Sasuke hits Naruto across the head one more time before passing it back to Fukasaku.

"Ow! What the hell, teme? I'm not turning into a toad!"

"Let Fukasaku take a break so you two could resume your training," he replies. "You want to avenge your master's death, right? Rushing things too much isn't going to make the process absolute."

Naruto was caught off guard when he heard that. Did Sasuke just say what he thinks he just said? Instead of clarifying it, Sasuke approaches Shima and walks pass her to the direction she came from without a word of farewell or 'let's go' to the older female toad. She turns to her husband and the human once more to say, "We'll be back soon!" Then she turns around and hops onward to catch up.

Fukasaku replies to her, "Make something extra yummy, ma!"

Naruto must still be in shock to respond back. He just watched them go and that gives Fukasaku the perfect opportunity to just collapse on the floor and sleep.

As Sasuke suspected, once the two of them were far enough away from Naruto and Fukasaku, Shima speaks to him. "You're a sharp kid, Sasuke-boy. I'm sure you know I didn't ask for you to help me look for larvae. I've been hunting them for so many years, I can get a whole herd of 'em by mah self."

'_Thought as much.' _Responding, Sasuke asks her, "And you wish to ask me how my time was on those mountains." It was more of a statement than it was a question.

Instead of answering his question, she interrupts him by cheering, "Ah, we're here!"

When Sasuke looks up, all he sees is a trail of stairs leading to what appears to be a small shrine on the top. The shrine itself looks small but in front of it looks like a stone lump. Shima hops on and Sasuke follows not too far away from her. "This is a teleporting pool. This is one of the only shortcuts to and from Mount Myoboku. However, only toads can travel through it."

"Then how do you expect me to assist you? Or to keep talking to you?"

"Easy."

The two of them reach the top and Sasuke could see now why only toads can go through it. The lump of stone looks like a small pool but there's no bottom. Only a reflection. However, from the size it looks like Sasuke could fit through so why did Shima say that he can't? When he turns to the old toad to ask, he's left to a very shocking surprise. One moment he sees a very large looking Shima and the next he's inside something dark, hot, and really gooey to stand on. Also, it's wet.

Is he in…Shima's mouth?

Several minutes later of just standing there, stunned when he has an idea of where he is, it became only very quick seconds later that he sees the light of day again; covered in saliva. Taking the time for his eyes to adjust to the sudden new light after the total darkness, Shima reverts back to her tiny self with a _poof_ and her hands still in the hand sign she used to transform back to her smaller self.

"We're here," she announces, cheerily. "I used the same jutsu Naruto-boy used when he collected you. Only he used a different toad so don't worry about being inside of his mouth, Sasuke-boy."

But Sasuke doesn't listen to her. He heard the words she spoke but he's just a little creeped out that now he's covered in toad saliva. Maybe telling him about how he was in a toad's mouth before is not the best thing to say to him right now.

"Now tell me. How was your time on those mountains? Did ya find your center balance?"

When he heard that, he listened to it this time. Flinging off as much saliva as he can from his arms and wiping off as much as he can from his body, Sasuke takes a moment to answer her.

"No," he replies.

Shima wasn't too happy to hear that. But at the same time, she really shouldn't be that much surprised about it. As he stands up, she replies back, "I see." Seeing that he's ready, she starts hopping off towards a direction and Sasuke follows her. "How long till ya gave up?"

"After you left. I gave up on trying to find my center balance because there was no way I could."

"And why not?"

Question after question after question. What is wrong with these people? Who do they think they are? Sasuke's therapists?

Stopping in his tracks, Sasuke stands his ground and asks the old granny toad, "Why do you people persist on trying to help me?"

Several hops later, she stops as well, since she noticed he stopped moving, and she turns to him to say, "Because yur frozen. Yur nothing but a hollow shell standing in one place!"

Oh all the things he expected her to say, Sasuke has to admit that he didn't expect that. He's an empty shell that's standing in one place? No one had ever told him that before.

By her words, he's a little stunned. "What are you talking about?" He may not have stuttered but Shima can tell that in his voice, he sounds shock. That's good. A reaction.

"I mean yur walking around like a ghost. No. A ghost has more purpose than ya! The reason why I said before how people who choose revenge are sad creatures is because once they have it, they don't go on living anymore. They just wasted their whole lives for one moment and then poof! Purpose is gone! What I'm surprised about you is you keep living. Ya walk like a doll but yur still breathing. Why?"

Great, another fantastic question. Why can't people just ask someone else instead of having Sasuke repeat the same things over and over?

Calming down from the earlier shock, Sasuke replies smoother and clearer, "Because no one would just let me die. Naruto claims that if he hadn't gotten me in time, I would be in the Akatsuki's grips right now. Both sides don't want me dead. They want me alive for their own reasons. So I shut myself out."

"But shutting yourself out isn't going to make things good for ya. It's yur life! Make something of it!"

Those words…definitely surprised Sasuke. Now he stands there really in shock with eyes widen, mouth slightly opened, and frozen posture. No one has ever told him that either and the thought…never really crossed his mind.

For the moment he doesn't say anything. He can't say anything. He feels as though his voice became frozen and his mind became a total blank form the shock of Shima's words. Why must people persist on saying the most useless things sometimes? It's like they won't leave him alone about everything. They want him to do something when he's already done something great. Two really, if you count the death of Orochimaru. But now, it's all like 'start caring about others', or 'open up to us, we're your friends', or even 'wake up and look what's around you! What do you see?'

All Sasuke sees is a bunch of morons that don't understand the true depth of the loss of his clan. How honorable his clan once was and how they were willing to do anything to protect Konoha. Then their most prized possession goes ahead and betrays them all. Now all that's left is one piece of the clan who hardly got acknowledge by them and yet respected more than anyone ever could in the village.

Is that what he's supposed to do then? Become the faithful servant of the Uchiha clan's honor? It would be a start…

_BAM_

_BOOM_

When Shima and Sasuke heard that, they also felt it. The sounds were a little soft but the vibrations in the ground indicate explosions, and a lot of them, not too far from where they are now. Both the old toad and the Uchiha boy look towards where the explosion should be and all they can see is pillars of smoke rising up to the skies above and bird fleeing from the area. What in the world?

"That's coming from Konoha!" Shima exclaims, realizing where that spot is.

What?

Without a moment to lose, Shima starts hopping towards the village, with or without Sasuke. He follows eventually and the two of them had to use their shinobi speed in order to get to the village in a manner of minutes. They arrive at the village gates and didn't even bother looking for the front entrance. They just leap up to the top and from their do they see the destruction of the once magnificent and almighty village. There are buildings crushed or completely destroyed. There are at least several giant animals attacking other buildings and from they can all see, there are bodies at almost every inch of the village. Some appear dead, and some appear to be getting help from some other fellow shinobis who can still move. Seeing the village like this, it just all reminds Sasuke so much of when Orochimaru attacked three years ago. Only it wasn't this bad and the number of causalities weren't this high from the look of it.

Shima looks at the village with a deeply serious face and she expresses, "Oh my goodness…"

Those three words can't even describe the very dreadful sight of the village right now.

Sasuke remains silent. He didn't know what to say when this village that was full of smiles and laughter when he left is now running into ruins. He doesn't need to guess who is behind this. He already knows. _'But…so soon!'_

"Shima-sama!"

As Shima never takes her eyes off the village, Sasuke spares a glance behind to see a blue silver frog come jumping up to the top of the gate to meet them. "I came through the distance teleporting pool. I have a message from Fukasaku-sama."

So then Naruto must know about this as well.

"To summon them, eh?" Shima asks.

That means Naruto's training is over and it's time to fight.

As Shima puts her basket down beside her, she tells the other frog, "Go back to Mount Myoboku as quickly as you can. Tell them to get ready."

"Yes, Shima-sama!" The messenger toad leaps off the edge and for all Sasuke knows, landed on the ground easily and is hurrying his froggy legs back to the pool.

"Are you read, Sasuke-boy?"

The Uchiha looks down at the toad besides him and the same serious expression on her face, she asks him, "Are you willing to fight alongside Naruto-boy and avenge this village?"

Avenge the village, eh? In the end, it's all about avenging something. But looking out at the village again, even Sasuke has to admit that the damages done here is unforgivable. Maybe not to him, but it's unforgivable who care and love this village with all of the hearts. That not only includes the Hokage, Naruto, Sakura, and all of them. It includes his deceased clan as well. For all kami knows, they would be rolling in their graves if the last of their clan doesn't do something about it.

Closing his eyes for just a second, Sasuke activates his Sharingan and responds to the old toad, "Just hurry up and summon that dope here."

As rude as that was, Shima nods; understanding that now is not the time to be worrying about manners. Though right when she starts making the hand signs, a bright white light shines from the sky above, right where the sun is but a lot brighter than that. The light didn't bother Shima as she continues the hand signs but Sasuke had to block his eyes before he became totally blinded.

"Summoning jutsu!"

Right when Shima places her hand down to complete the summoning, Sasuke hears something. Something coming. Trying to see what it is, he sees shadows and a _rumble_ like no other. A rumble that's getting louder and louder each second. As those shadows come closer at rapid speed, Sasuke finally sees what those shadows are. Rubble. Pieces and parts of buildings bring torn apart and pushed off to the side like some giant, incredible force is pushing them back and destroying them at the same time. As those pieces come closer and closer, Sasuke sees that those pieces of rubble are heading straight for him and Shima. Especially a giant cube of stone that's aiming right for the older toad at lightning fast speed.

"Shima!"

* * *

><p>...<p>

...

...

...

* * *

><p>Sasuke did not know what just happened.<p>

One moment, a part of the building was coming towards Shima.

One moment, Sasuke felt a surge of power pulse right through him and then came right out of his right eye.

One moment, all that could be seen from his right eye was red.

One moment, everything else became smoky purple.

One moment, that boulder crashes into something and then breaks apart into a thousand pieces.

Finally, both Sasuke and Shima are staring from the inside of what appears to be an incomplete warrior. The body of the warrior is half skeleton and the other half has a bit of human features with skin and muscles. But most important, it's holding up a shield that had just protected them from flying buildings, and many more parts that started to fly by like wood slabs or ceiling tiles.

Shima turns to Sasuke and asks, "Are ya doing this?" She didn't need him to answer when she looked at his face. "Is that?"

Sasuke looks down at her in his own surprise, unknowing of the blood tear that trailed down his face or the Sharingan in his eyes. Instead of the usual three tomoe signs in his red pupils, his Sharingan just looks like a red six-point star. Shima becomes more astonished when she realizes what exactly she's seeing before her old eyes.

"Sasuke-boy, you have the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Mangekyo Sharingan? But to Sasuke, there's just no way. How in the world could he have the Mangekyo? The Mangekyo can only be possessed after killing your closest friend, right? The only person who Sasuke killed most recently was Itachi. But he wasn't a close friend. He was the enemy at the time. Sasuke felt no remorse or guilt when he killed that man. Unless…

He obtained the Mangekyo after mourning for his brother's loss… But even then, Sasuke shouldn't have the Mangekyo!

"PLEASE! NARUTOOOO! SASUKE-KUUUUUNNNN!"

That sounded like Sakura!

Looking back out towards the distance, now Sasuke and Shima are seeing what the great village has now become. Nothing…There is absolutely nothing left. Just the ruined buildings all pushed aside to the gates. Everything just looks like one giant crater with more craters inside like the perfect image of a frozen ripple. Clouds of dust rolled together like a tornadoes, or like giant trees expanding to the skies. Everything else is just ruins, pushed aside like garbage.

_Poof_

At last, Shima's summoning jutsu works, right in the middle of the disaster scene. As if all it needed was Sakura's cry to bring the child of prophecy to the village.

"They're here!" Shima exclaims.

To Sasuke, everything looks so much more clearer and sharper. Everything is so defined. Looking towards where Naruto is supposed to be, it only became a little hard to see him because he's literally surrounded by a sea of white smoke. However, Sasuke could still that spiky blonde in a red cloak, a giant scroll on his back, him standing with Fukasaku on Gamakichi. Gamakichi on top of his father's head; the Chief toad – and accompanied with two other giant toads. One with two sword and the other with a metal spear and a giant sake dish on his back.

Shima jumps on top of Sasuke's shoulder and tells him, "Take us to em! They're gonna need our help." Sasuke nods in understanding and with his incredible ninja speed disappears from their spot on top of the gates to a spot a little higher up on Gamakichi's head. When they land, Naruto and Fukasaku's attention instantly lands on their new guests.

Sasuke almost felt tempted to ask the guy why he was wearing a cloak but who is he to judge what the blonde decides to wear for such an occasion.

Though when Naruto sees Sasuke's face, his expression widens even more in surprise and confusion after seeing the area he has been summoned to. Something tells Sasuke that it's not because he realizes that he's in Konoha. The village is now unrecognizable.

"Sasuke, your eyes…"

The Uchiha spares him a glance, giving him a full view of his new Sharingan, before he decides to wipe away the blood on his face. "Never mind it, dope."

"What's going on, ma?" Fukasaku asks his wife. "Why didn't ya summon us to Konoha."

She replies, "This _is_ the village of Konohagakure." Both Fukasaku's and Naruto's face explodes in shock to her words.

"Take a good look, Naruto," Sasuke tells them.

They did. The two of them plus the other humongous toads. As the clouds decide to disparate into the air, the sea around them disappears and very soon the heads of the Hokages of the village come into view. The first to expression their utter shock and horror became the chief toad. "No way!"

Shima tells all of them, "It's clear who did this. I sense the same energies as when we ode atop Jiraiya-boy's shoulders."

That only means one thing. The person who attacked the village is the one who killed Jiraiya. Pein, leader of the Akatsuki, is here and there's only one thing he's after.

When Naruto realizes this, the expression on his face grew from angry to pure hatred. First his mentor and now his village? When will this guy? Does he have a death wish? These are the thoughts Sasuke could clearly see on the blonde's face. As the smoke continues to clear, there's a figure that can be seen on the ground below. Someone with a black cloak with blood red clouds, spiky orange hair, and six piercings on his nose as well as seven piercings on each ear. It became golden toad eyes and black and red Sharingan eyes staring down at the purple spiral eyes of the Rinnegan.

"Now I don't have to hunt you two."

Two? Then he's after Sasuke as well?

* * *

><p>"Sasuke, go with them. I can take care of Pein by myself."<p>

To say that when Sasuke heard that coming from Naruto next to him as they are now standing between Pein and Gamakichi whose holding Tsunade safely in his arms – to say that he didn't feel insulted from his words would have been an insult of itself for not feeling that. Yes, the blonde has indeed become stronger in only a short time. He proved that when he crushed the body of that robotic Pein lying right in front of him with his incredible lightning fast speed and instant Rasengan attack. This fight should belong to him. He's the one who has the dead mentor he has to avenge but there is no way that Sasuke is just going to sit on his butt and allow the guy to take all the fun out of this. Besides, Sasuke defeated probably the second badest Akatsuki member in the organization. Maybe right next to Pein. Now the Uchiha may not have been training his ass off like Naruto did, but from what just happened not too long ago, he has a new trick up his sleeve that he would like to try.

"Who do you think you are to give me orders?" he replies back, a very Sasuke-like response. Naruto and Tsunade became surprised when they heard that as Pein looked a bit intrigued. But Sasuke ignores all of their looks for the moment as he commands, "Gamakichi, go."

"Right!" The medium size orange toad leaps into the air with Tsunade in his hands and he retreats up to a higher ground and to where Tsunade can get the help and rest she needs and deserves right now.

On the battlefield, it's Chief toad with two of his comrades, Fukasaku, Shima, Naruto and now Sasuke against the Six Paths of Pein.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yells at him, as if scolding him.

But before he could go on a full on lecture on how the fight belongs to him and whatnot, the raven head interrupts him, "Uchiha Sasuke. That is my name." That shut up him up. About all eyes are on the Uchiha as he has his seriousness, ready-to-fight face plus his new Mangekyo Sharingan still activated. Shima smirks up at the boy as they all continue to listen, "I am a member of the Uchiha clan, and that clan died for this village. I am not about to let my clan's morals and beliefs go to waste."

Naruto became shocked. Absolutely and positively shocked. This guy next to him. This dead weight who would just sit on his butt and brood has fire in his eyes. Fierce fire that Naruto swears is going to burn the very depths of the poor victim's soul who dare to look into them. Even if he feels a little more confident with Sasuke beside him, willing to fight alongside him for the sake of the village. Everything is finally starting to come together. He dreamed of the day when he would fight with his best friend again and now that dream is finally coming true. All Naruto could do is smile, a smug look starting to appear on his expression and he tells the Uchiha, "Fine. Do what you want then. But when it comes to the final strike, do not interfere. He's mine."

All Sasuke does is move his hand to his back and place his palm against the handle of his sword, ready to unsheathe it and fight. "Hmpth," he replies. Again, another very Sasuke-like answer.

"Alright then. Let's go, Sasuke!"

* * *

><p><strong>Ugh! Done! There we go. I hope that was better than my last chapter.<strong>

**Now then, after this chapter this is where things start getting a little rough. Things you guys already know but I'll be spicing them up just a little bit to fit Sasuke in there. Already he has the eternal Mangekyo and he doesn't know exactly why so there!**

**But how was this chapter? Bad? Good? Boring? Let me know. Till next week, hopefully!**


	9. Let Go

**A/N: Hello guys! Oh I am finally done! Okay, I am updating this before I read the next chapter, even though I am dying to know what is going to happen next and what other secrets are going to be revealed here! But pain before pleasure. Or in this case, pleasure before utter bliss and excitement! I must contain myself.**

**Anyway, I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters, nor do I own the story. I really wish I did so I could rewrite it like how I'm doing now, but I don't think my story would be as epically awesome as Kishimoto, even though he's making Sasuke such an evil meanie…Thank you for those who have reviewed and please keep them coming! I love them all and they're such goo encouragement and inspiration! Every time I feel down or I need the drive to write for a story, I read my lovely reviews and I feel so much better. Thank you, and enjoy!**

**PS, if you get confused with the first part of the story. Keep going, I explain it later on.**

**PSS, there is a family ItaSasu moment here.**

* * *

><p>Ch. 8: Let Go<p>

"_Capture of Uchiha Sasuke, accomplish…It appears you don't know how to control your Mangekyo Sharingan. Unlike your brother. And unlike him, you do not understand true pain. You claim to be fighting for your clan's honor, but I don't see it. What exactly are you fighting for?"_

…

"_What are you? Just what do you want? Why are you doing all of this?"_

…

"…_We each act according to our own sense of justice. The justice I am delivering to Konoha is no different than the justice you're trying to deliver to me. The pain of losing someone dear is the same and the three of us know that pain all too well. You have your justice, and I have mine…We are both ordinary men, driven to seek vengeance under the banner of justice. However, if there is justice in vengeance, then justice will only breed more vengeance. And trigger a cycle of hatred…The ninja world is ruled by hatred. How could you confront this hatred, in order to bring peace? I want to hear your answer."_

"_I don't have an answer for something like that."_

…

"_Uchiha Sasuke, you appear to know what I'm talking about. Because not only do you posess the Mangekyo Sharingan, that can only be achieved through the pain of losing a precious person, but you're just about to give up, aren't you?_

_**Gasp**_

"_I can feel your will slipping away through the rods. As understanding as I would be, I'm afraid I can't allow you to die just yet."_

"_Sasuke! You listen to me! Don't you dare give up on me! I'll kick your ass if you do! Sasuke! SASUKE!"_

…

"…_Because, I love you, Naruto-kun…"_

…

* * *

><p><em>Warmth… That's all he could feel.<em>

_That and the weight of something on his head and then sliding down to his cheek before restarting again at the beginning._

_Funny. Sasuke always thought that death was going to be cold and empty but such a huge relief. Like he could feel as though he's drifting into nothingness and would slowly cease to exist. That's what he thought death would be and that was all he wanted._

_But he feels almost grounded and there's such a pleasant warmth all around him. When he opens his eyes, his sight didn't help him answer the questions to his confusion. It just brought more as he sees grass. Beautiful, healthy green grass sparkling in the sunlight as the rays shine through the openings of the forest he's apparently in. Why is he in a forest and why does everything look so peaceful? If the sight of grass and other trees weren't confusing enough, there's that small weight on his head that's still petting him. It just feels comforting to the touch and so gentle. It's…familiar, in a way. He knows something that used to feel like this. Something that feels like centuries ago or something that he couldn't believe ever existed in the first place._

'_**M…Mother?'**_

_Then he hears a voice. A voice that doesn't sound like his mother._

"_Hatred is a part of life."_

_Instantly, Sasuke's eyes shot open in shock for he knows this voice!_

"_But it's our mission as humans to overcome that hatred."_

_As the shock settles in the young Uchiha, so does his other senses of awareness. One, he's lying down. Two, he's not pinned by the rods or lying on his back like how he ended up after fighting with Pein. Three, he's lying on someone's lap with his body leaning on the side. Four, that voice was his brother's!_

_Sasuke snaps himself up to get hmself away from the lap but instead of seeing the cold-hearted stare of the yet empty, Sharingan eyes of his grown up brother, he sees before him a child of no more than thirteen with warm, kind, understanding, smiling satin black eyes. Sasuke is in deeper surprise that he's actually seeing the younger version of his older brother – the brother who he had cherished above all else._

_Sasuke is paralyzed. He doesn't know what to do, or if he even can, and he doesn't know what to say to the person in front of him. Itachi, however, raises his hand to the grown-up version of his younger brother and his hand moves aside the strands of hair from the face and cups the soft cheek. "You have come so far, otouto."_

_Sasuke couldn't believe this. There was just no way!_

_Flinching away from the touch as if it were poison, Sasuke now sits up before the pre-teen and a small look of hurt appears on the teen's face when he did that. Seeing that face pulls at Sasuke's heart strings. At times like this, he would be ignoring and then demand to know what the heck is going on. But for some reason, he couldn't glare at the boy in front of him. Especially when Itachi decides to use his face to show that he forgives his little brother for doing that and instead smiles at the slightly hilarious, dumbstruck expression before him._

"_Am I…really dead?"_

_Itachi shakes his head. "No."_

_But if he's not dead, then…_

"_Then am I dreaming?"_

"_No, otouto. You are in your own self-conscious. A world you created in the depths of your mind, through your memories."_

"_My…" But Sasuke doesn't finish that thought. Instead, he averts his eyes off his __**younger**__ brother for a moment to relook at his surroundings. Now that it's mentioned, this forest looks like the forest the two of them used to train in when they were younger. Or when Sasuke was younger…_

_Even the giant boulder embedded into the ground isn't too far from them._

"_Then, you're not real." Looking back down at the preteen, the small bit of sadness and guilt appears on Itachi's features. A look that should not belong on his perfect face but sometimes normally seen for only a moment before it quickly disappears._

_But Itachi allows it to remain there a little longer before answering, "No and yes. I am not your real brother but I have this form because I am the voice inside of you that you're refusing to listen."_

_Refusing to listen? How could that be possible? When Sasuke was a child, he would always listen to his nii-san. When Itachi told him to do something, he would do it._

_When Itachi told him to hate him, he did._

_Before he could let the older teenager speak, Itachi regains back his smile – a smile he would only ever give to his younger brother; and he says, "Sasuke, you have done so much and accomplish so many things. I'm proud of you but, otouto, why won't you live?"_

_That question again. Why is everyone always asking him the same thing over and over again? But somehow to hear thirteen-year old Itachi ask him this, Sasuke actually feels a little like he wants to find the answer and say it. Though finding it isn't the problem. He already knows what it is but he just never admitted it. Not to anyone and he's been trying so hard to not admit it to himself._

"_Because there's nothing worth living for anymore," he responds. Now, he just feels like he doesn't deserve to look at his kind, elder brother in the eye anymore. It just feels like he's admitting his own weakness. But if it's too your own self-conscious and someone who looks like your most precious person, it doesn't feel as shameful as if he were saying it to Naruto or anyone else. "I've lost everything. I've lost you." He just feels so small and insignificant now. Just like he's a little kid all over again. A little kid swallowed up in so much emotional turmoil. Why is he feeling like that? "Why couldn't you just kill me? Why did you leave me with this empty life?"_

_Then to his own surprise, he feels two fingers press against his forehead. His eyes widen in shock when he feels that little jab and he actually looks at his brother again to still see that special smile. "Your life isn't empty. You have friends. People who are willing to care about you and see the real you. They will be better than me, if you let them."_

_Impossible! No one could ever be better than Itachi. He was perfect in every way. The perfect son, the perfect shinobi, and the perfect brother. Sasuke grew up as the only child in his clan. He never had anyone else to play with who were his age and all of the kids at the academy were just too afraid to approach him because he was part of the most powerful clan in the village. There was always Itachi and Sasuke had already let him into his world without even trying since the day he was born._

_But how does one let someone in when they don't know the first thing on what to do?_

"_I don't know how anymore."_

_Hearing that answer, Itachi's smile wavered for just a moment. His little brother would always be as foolish as ever. But in all honesty, can anyone really blame him for it? "I'll be asking too much too soon, but open up. When they give you a hand, take it. And when they ask for yours, offer it. The real reason why you don't want to live anymore is because you don't want to let go of the past." Instantly, Sasuke onyx eyes widen to the very point of having his eyes balls rolled out of his eye sockets. His brother just hit the mark perfectly. "The past doesn't define you, Sasuke. It only shows where you came from. Seeing you now after everything that you've been through, you have done so much. You have proven that you are the better man. Now prove it again. Let go."_

_What is he saying? When Sasuke speaks again, his voice sounded like it's on the very edge of panicking. "But to let go would be-"_

"_Yes. It would be letting me go," Itachi interrupts. "But to move on, you have to get out of the past and move with the future. Just because terrible things happen, it doesn't mean that the world is going to stop for you. Life goes on and if you don't let the current take you, you will be stuck in one place for the rest of your life. I've already shown you that I won't always be there to give you a ride back home. You need to get on your own feet and start walking. This is your time. Not our clans. Not mine. Yours. Live the life you want to live." Then reaching as far as he could, he places his hand on the top of Sasuke's head and ruffles his fingers through those soft raven locks of his. "You are an Uchiha and a very strong shinobi. I know you can do it. You are my little brother after all."_

_Damnit. What is it with all of these words being spoken from Itachi's mouth and using his voice? They're really starting to play on Sasuke's emotions._

_Without even thinking or allowing any denial at all to pass through his mind right now, Sasuke grabs Itachi's arms and pulls the preteen into his arms. The smaller boy was surprised and a bit tensed when his younger brother did such a thing. But eventually, he relaxes in the hold and allows Sasuke to hold him as long as he wants. From the hug, he can tell what the teenager is feeling – feelings he's been holding back for so long._

"_I've finally figured out why I can't find my center balance and why I have the Mangekyo," Sasuke begins to say. Itachi says nothing. He just rests in his little brother's arms, listening. "Because I was at last mourning your death. Father's…mother's…our clans'…it's terrible what happened to them but the one person I was more upset about losing was you. I hated you, not because you were the cold-hearted murderer, but because you left me alone for so many years. I was afraid that everything that we went through was a lie, and maybe it was. But to lose my brother who was the only person to show me any real attention…the first person to accept me, imperfections and all…I denied myself the pain because I hoped you were still inside that fraud somewhere. Then I killed you and I can never know for sure if the you I used to know was really you."_

"_Even if I was, you wouldn't accept it."_

_Sasuke's eyes widen in realization and sorrow when Itachi said that. The preteen at last raises his arms and returns to the hug. His fingers trace comforting circles on Sasuke's back as he explains, "I know you, Sasuke. You wouldn't accept the me you knew because you can't forgive the years of solitude I put you through. The loneliness…the pain…you can't forgive me for that. I took everything from you so you could become stronger. Not just physically, but mentally as well. I wanted you to overcome the hatred of this world and create your own path, instead of that the clan planned for you."_

_There are no words to describe how Sasuke feels right now. In a way, he almost feels like…nothing. Not 'nothing' as in Itachi's words didn't get through to him or he wasn't listening. But like he didn't know what he was supposed to feel. Sad that he didn't get his brother's lesson behind his cruel actions? Ashamed for being so naïve and stupid? Shocked to know that his brother truly did know him so well? Or relieved to at last release his thoughts and receive the hidden truth behind them? But one thing is for certain, and it's the feeling Sasuke could not figure out how to precisely describe it, but he feels light. Like Itachi's words just freed him from the heavy, wicked chains he was always bounded to._

"_Forgive me, Sasuke. This is the last time."_

_Those words! Sasuke's heard them before!_

_Itachi used to say words similar to that when they were actually brothers but it was always 'Forgive me, Sasuke. Maybe next time'._

_But these words…Sasuke heard ones just like them! In what felt like a dream but at the same time, it was very real._

_The Itachi in his arms pulls away and faces his little brother with one more smile and eyes. "The last time for us to talk like this. You need to go back. Your friends need you and you need to keep living. Because to me, your life, your happiness, are all that really matters." He reaches up for Sasuke's head and in less than a blink of an eye as the teenager is pulled towards him, Itachi's preteen body suddenly grew to his adult form. The last time Sasuke saw him as. He doesn't move against it as he's now in the arms of the man he thought he was going to steal his eyes and kill him. Yet here he is, holding him with strong warm arms, in the purple clothes he died in. No Akatsuki cloak._

"_Be happy, Sasuke."_

* * *

><p>"Sasuke-kun…Sasuke-kun!...Sasuke-kun, please wake up!"<p>

That's the first thing the Uchiha hears as his conscious slowly comes back. He could hear that echoing voice getting louder and louder and he can feel this strong, healing energy throughout his entire body. It's helping him come back and soon, he begins to feel the rest of the aches and pains of his body. Using his newly gained strength, Sasuke opens his eyes. It's blurry at first but after a few more blinks and that chakra running through his body, he could see and the first thing he sees are worried, scared-to-death, teary emerald green eyes staring down at him.

Sasuke doesn't even need to guess who's by his side right now, or healing him.

"Sa…kura…"

Hearing him call her name, more tears build up in Sakura's eyes and then she smiles in her great relief and joy to see him alive. "Oh Sasuke-kun. Thank goodness."

Trying to get the wheels in his head to turn, Sasuke's trying to remember what happened that lead him to here. So far, his fresh memories are of being with his brother at the borderland but why does his body ache all over and how is Sakura by his side, healing him?

Alright, both Naruto and him were fighting the six Peins. Naruto was using his sage mode and Sasuke was just winging it with the Mangekyo since it was his first time using it. He did everything on instinct. Naruto defeated the long haired Pein, plus the one who sucks the ninjutsu; twice. Sasuke destroyed the mechanical Pein, who was resurrected after Naruto crushed him, and the Pein who was the resurrector. And also, they both defeated the Pein who could summon the giant animals, together. But when it came down to the main Pein, he was another story. He was extremely strong and his powers recharged by the time Sasuke and Naruto were going to attack him. Looking at his body now, Sasuke's sort of surprised to not see the metal rods that Pein used to pin him to the ground. That guy stabbed him in the shoulders, the arms, his hands, his legs, and his chest to make sure that the Uchiha stayed down. Naruto tried to help him escape, by only pulling out the rod in his chest, before Fukasaku was stabbed and killed. The idiot got distracted and then he was pinned down as well. With Sakura here now, those rods are out of him and she's healing the wounds caused by them.

Then Pein made his grand speech about the cycle of hatred and what war and peace were through his eyes, plus what he wanted to do about it. But during his speech, Sasuke couldn't help but agree to what Pein was saying. He let the words get to him and after Naruto didn't know how to answer him, Sasuke just gave up. Even the great knuckle-headed ninja that apparently had something to say about everything could be silenced by a subject as complex as a discussing about war and obtaining peace. He was supposed to the great bringer of peace but did he know how? No. Was he going to avenge his master's death differently than anyone else? No. So Sasuke just started to lose. He didn't even care anymore.

But before Sasuke went unconscious, he saw Hinata. He saw how she tried her absolute hardest to say the person she loved despite the knowledge that she was going to die if she tried. She didn't care and she wasted her life trying to save Naruto. Then Pein killed her and Naruto was upset. But a lot more than just the usual upset. There was just a sudden burst of energy and dark chakra that created another crater within the crater and then…blank. Sasuke must have been hit in the head with a rock or something because now that he's remembering what had happened, his head hurts really bad.

Sakura raises his hand up to Sasuke's head, allowing her chakra to heal that wound, and she tells him, "I'm sorry, but this is all I can do right now." He understands what she means. He doesn't need to activate his Sharingan to know that she's low on chakra after having to heal so many other wounded shinobis before him. Also, all she can do is heal the small wounds like cuts and gashes.

However, no way is Sasuke going to let these wounds hold him down. He's hell of a lot stronger than that. When Sakura retracts her hands, he tries to sit up. Yeah, the process of it hurt like hell but he tried not to make a sound till he was up in a sitting position. Then he started to take easy and calm breathes to slow his racing heart and deal with the other pains of his body.

"Easy, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaims, seeing him acting so reckless. "You need to rest. You've done enough."

Enough? Yeah right.

"Where's Naruto?" he asks. But when she didn't answer, he looks up at her and her eyes have darted away to the side in sorrow. What is that supposed to mean? No way did Naruto get taken away by Pein because Sasuke is still here with Sakura. So then…But when her eyes move to the area around them, Sasuke follows her gaze and he's in shock himself to what he sees.

There is a big gaping hole at the edge of the crater. Like some kind of powerful attack just blasted through the earth like cheese. For all Sasuke knows, it was some kind of powerful attack and observing Pein's powers, this Pein does not have the ability to create some kind of blast like that. So then, was it Naruto? The crater now looks like a big bowl with a hole at the edge like someone dropped the bowl. Plus, the ground inside the crater is cracked and unleveled and it all heads towards the big hole. Beyond it, there is even more damages that Pein couldn't possible created with his ability of repelling and attracting. Seeing all of it, the Uchiha actually really didn't want to believe it himself.

"Naruto…did all of this?" he asks, almost whispering.

"Yes," she replies. Her fists clench together into fists, her teeth bite her lip, and tears start to swell up in her eyes. Sasuke takes a glance at her and he sees her distressed look. Before he could say anything about it, however, Sakura suddenly bursts out, saying, "Sasuke-kun, we have to do something! He's gaining tails and if he reaches nine, then the Nine-tails will be completely reborn. Naruto wouldn't be able to come back."

So then, Naruto went into Nine-tails stage? He allowed the beast's hatred to take control of him. It isn't too much of a surprised for the blonde to let that happened. If it weren't for taking Jiraiya away from him, Pein did so much worst with destroying the village, killing everyone else, and then he killed Hinata before Naruto's eyes. That must be what triggered the beat to run amuck. Also if Sasuke really thinks about it, he didn't help much either. However if it's the tailed beast that they're talking about here, then there's a chance for Sasuke to bring him back. As far as the Sharingan goes, it can be used to control the tailed beast. Also, Sasuke's been inside Naruto's head once to see the Nine-tails, he can do it again. Wake that dope up back to reality.

"I'll stop him."

Sakura gasps when she heard the guy in front of her say that. This time, Sasuke pushes himself up into a standing position using his sword that's surprisingly still in his grasps and even though he stumbled for a moment, getting up didn't hurt so much as the first time did. Although, knowing what Sasuke is going to do, the pink haired medic instantly gets up as well and she pleads him, "Let me come with you! You're too wounded to take on Nine-tails."

Sasuke turns his head to face her again but he sees something passed her pink haired locks. Not too far away from them, in fact where Hinata was killed, there are other medics working on the young Hyuuga's body and it looks like they're healing her. But how can they heal a corpse? Unless…"Is Hinata…still alive?"

Following his gaze, Sakura looks behind her to see the other medics she brought along to help and she sees now why Sasuke sounded surprised when he asked his question. She answers, "Yes. She was barely alive when we got here."

Oh that is truly a great relief. Apparently, the stupid ones never die that easily – some would say. To Sakura's great surprised when Sasuke heard that answer, she sees a light relief on the Uchiha's face and how his lips almost curled up. It didn't move very much but she didn't need the Byakugan or Sharingan to confirm what she just saw.

Regaining his usual composure, Sasuke faces Sakura fully and tells her, "Then tend to her. I'll be fine in taking care of Naruto."

Hearing that made the kunoichi upset. "Aren't you listening to me? You're too wounded to stop him and even if you can, he's still fighting Pein!"

"Let me do this, Sakura. I know you're worried but right now, you need to take care of Hinata." Sakura's eyes nearly rolled out of her sockets when she heard that. It wasn't because he snapped at her. He didn't snap at her at all. He just sounded calm and composed and he was just telling her the reality of things. Sakura was expecting him to snap at her in annoyance but he did something different entirely. Even everyone else that was there – the medics, Gamakichi, and ; are shocked beyond belief as well. Looking directly into her eyes with full seriousness, the Uchiha makes her realize, "You're the best medical ninja in the village. She needs you more than we do. I swear to you I will not die so easily and I will bring that idiot back. Even if it's hard to do, right now you have to trust me!"

She believes him. Staring into those onyx eyes, she sees nothing but sincerity and honesty. It causes her heart to pound in her chest like it always did whenever he did something heroic and amazing. It clears her head of doubts and despair and gives her hope and belief. Just like how Naruto would do every time before. Willingly, she nods to him. "I trust you, Sasuke-kun. I've always had."

He became pleased to hear that. "Then stay here. I'll be back, I promise." Then he turns around and sprints into a run, following the path of destruct left behind by Naruto and Pein. Sakura watches him go and all she can do now is pray in her heart that everything will be okay and Sasuke really will come back with Naruto, alive.

* * *

><p>With all of the destruction left behind, it was like following a trail of bread crumbs. Sasuke leaps from one tree branch to the next and using his ninja speed, it didn't take him too long till he saw a giant ball of rock and earth in mid air.<p>

'_What the heck is that?'_

Sasuke closes his eyes for a small moment and activates his Sharingan to look. With it, he can see that the center of the ball of earth has a strong magnetic pull, like gravity and earth. But also, there is an incredibly large amount of chakra near the outer layer of that rock and the colors are red and black. That is a chakra Sasuke has seen before. It was the chakra admitted from the nine-tails when Naruto first revealed his nine-tail cloak and when Sasuke looked inside of him at Orochimaru's lair. Naruto is inside of that thing? Is he traped? Seeing it and knowing for sure that it's one of Pein's tricks, Sasuke hastens his steps to get there as fast as he can.

If Naruto really did create that blast when he was in fox-mode at the village, then that guy probably has the mind of a beast right now. One full of rage and making irrational, reckless decisions. Sasuke needs to get there and then use his Sharingan to bring that dope back to his senses. However, that mammoth size ball of earth is putting a bad twist in his gut. The only way to get rid of that is to defeat Pein himself.

Or at least weakened him just enough to release the blonde.

Sasuke has just about arrive and he comes to the scene where Pein is looking up at the mini planet as if confirming himself that he has indeed captured the nine-tails. Yeah, like in this century.

"Pein!"

Looking down at the one who called out for him, the Akatsuki leader didn't reveal any emotions to Sasuke's arrival – even though the last time he saw the Uchiha was pinned to the floor by his rods and losing the will to live. He just stands there and stares as the Sharingan user stops several yards away from him.

"So you have come here," the Akatsuki leader says. "Thank you for saving me the trouble of having to return to the village to collect your body."

Sasuke had to chuckle to that. "Heh. Don't assume just because you've got me once, you can do it again. You and I both know that you are at your last wits. I will defeat you and free Naruto from your little trap. Then I will move to the sidelines and watch as he kills you."

He wasn't bluffing and Pein knows that he wasn't. Besides the visible evidence that he is at his limits, Pein can feel that his last attack greatly drained him and fighting with the Uchiha boy now will most definitely be a problem. But besides that, there is something that intrigues him when he looks up on this raven haired boy. Pein sees something in Sasuke when he said his little speech. His eyes narrow as he stares into those normal Sharingan eyes of the boy's. Something is definitely different about him. _'He has a purpose in fighting now.'_

"Uzumaki Naruto has already fallen victim to my power. Madara may desire you but you cannot defeat me so easily."

Again, laugh. And Sasuke doesn't really give a flying rat's ass right now about Madara. He is not important at this time.

"I supposed there is only one way to find out." Lifting his sword up, he points the tip of blade at Pein in offence/defense mode; ready for anything that is to happen next. Pein can see it just as much as anyone else could. Sasuke is going to seriously fight him and he is going to give it his all in order to free his friend.

The Akatsuki doesn't verbally respond. All he does is take one small step to the side and then he sprints into a run. Sasuke charges at him as well and it becomes a battle between sword metal rod as Naruto struggles with his inner hatred inside of the enormous giant ball of earth.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my gosh, shoot me! I hope I gave Sasuke justice. You know, I always had the idea that the only person he would really listen to would be either Naruto or Itachi. Since I like Itachi better, I hope that little talk thing was okay and not too corny or cliché.<strong>

**But how was it? Bad? Good? Let me know! Till next time, guys!**


	10. I Want Your Answer

**A/N: Hi guys. Oh my gosh, I am so sorry that I have not been updating for weeks but I have been extremely busy like you wouldn't believe! That and other stuff as well. Anyway, in all honesty I'm not so thrilled about this chapter but it needs to be brought out. I'm really hoping that my next one will be better and if I'm lucky, I will be able to update it on time next week.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, you all know that I would be writing it like this with Sasuke as the good guy. Though in case anyone knows, WHERE THE HELL IS HE? Itachi, too! WHERE ARE THEY? AUGH!**

**Anyway, thank you all for the wonderful reviews and I'm sorry I made you all wait this long. I'll try to do better next time. Thank you and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ch. 9: I Want Your Answer<p>

_Cling, clang_

_Cling, clang_

_Cling, clang_

It goes on and on. Sasuke's battle with Pein just continues to drag on. It wasn't because the Uchiha was being over cocky like how he usually is. It's just that when he tried to attack, it ended up being a small, careless miscalculation. For an Uchiha, a miscalculation like that should not have happened. However, it happened because he's an Uchiha. When he attacked, his eye sight wavered. He misjudge the distance and the height right when he's about to slice Pein before the Akatsuki leader uses his repel or attraction.

The first time it happened, both of them were caught off guard that it happened. By then, Pein's five second delay ended and he used his repel to push Sasuke back. The Uchiha does a flip and he lands effortlessly on his feet but similar to his opponent before him, he's out of breath and their levels of chakra are lessening the longer they prolong the fight.

"So my theory was correct. The longer you used the Mangekyo Sharingan, the more of your eye sight you lose," Pein says to the exhausted Uchiha before him. "Your brother did well to hide his blindness from everyone else, but nonetheless, I'd notice."

A flash of Itachi's face with blood dripping down his mouth and his blind eyes pass through Sasuke's mind at the mention of that. As well as the knowledge that even if Itachi was losing his sight and when he lost it, he was still a hardass opponent to beat. If he could do it, then so can Sasuke.

_Boom_

That came from above. Both Pein and Sasuke look up at the giant ball of earth and both of them slightly widen their eyes at the sight before them.

_GRAHHHHH!_

Breaking through the crushed earth, a giant fox monster fights its way out. But this animal has eight tails and the muscles, tissues, and bones visible for the two of them to see. There is no skin on this almost-fully formed tailed-beast.

Pein expresses, watching the great, distorted animal struggle out of his trap, "Impossible…" Sasuke says nothing. He's in shock. Almost like that time when Naruto first summoned the Chief Toad when they were thirteen and he turned the toad into the nine-tailed fox when they were fighting Gaara and his Shukaku. The last time was only a transformation but now, the nine-tails is really being revived all thanks to Naruto's hatred and rage he feels towards Pein for what he's done to the village, his teachers, and Hinata.

'_Naruto…'_

This is what hatred does to you. It turns you into an unrecognized monster, and then you lose yourself completely to the beast raging inside. Sasuke was like that once but he never saw through the eyes of those who had to watch him become the monster. Now here he is watching his comrade turn into the biju before his eyes. It's not the same but is this what happened to him as he was seeking his revenge against Itachi? That's what the Uchiha wanted to know as he continues to hear the booming roar of the beast and watch it wrestle with his earthly bonds.

"What power…"

Looking at the Akatsuki leader before him, Sasuke sees Pein raising his arms up to the mini planet as he voices out load, "Forcing his way out of the Planetary Devastation. What incredible strength. I'll have to enlarge it."

Yeah, like in this century.

Before Pein could really do anything, Sasuke charges at him with his sword again and Pein caught sight of the Uchiha's attack just in time to grasp another metal rod from his arm and he blocks the sword.

"He is not your concern right now." Quickly before Pein could use his repel once his powers return, Sasuke pushes him back just enough to quickly turn and kick the man in front of him to the boulder several yards away. He crashed, breaking the boulder into smithereens and Sasuke didn't waste any time turning his Sharingan eyes up at the beast shaking with effort before him.

_Sharingan!_

As soon as they obtained eye contact, Sasuke enters the mind of the beast. Just like the first time he entered this place, he's in a room with water as the floor, terribly lightning all around him that made the room full of dark frightening shadows, tall white walls around him, and a cage just as big in front of him. He already knows what's behind the bars of that cage and he's already greeted with the angry, hate-filled red eyes of Kyuubi himself.

"So we meet again, Uchiha Sasuke."

However while the Kyuubi is here with the seal securely on the cage to keep the beast within, where is Naruto? Sasuke thought for sure that the guy would be here about to remove the seal if he'd already allowed eight tails to be revealed.

Observing him, the giant beast narrows his eyes at the Uchiha user before him. "You're most definitely different than the last time we saw each other, Uchiha. Before you had chakra far greater and sinister than my own but now, it's kinder and full of a lighter purpose. What happened to all of your hatred, boy?"

"I am under no obligation to answer your questions, Kyuubi," Sasuke replies, his voice firm with authority and his eyes hard with seriousness. "Where is Naruto?"

A growl rumbles from behind the bars and those red eyes now glare their anger and hatred at the insolent human before him who dares to defy him. But besides the glare, those eyes are still analyzing him. "Before you were willing and unhesitant to kill Naruto but here you are asking where he is. Annoying little pest! Who do you think you are? Ordering me to answer to your command when all you have is that cursed ability of your clan! Come here so that I may rip you to shreds!"

Short-tempered thing isn't it? It almost makes the raven haired teenager wonder if the reason why Naruto gets so easily angry is because of this guy here.

"I'm not going to ask you again, Kyuubi. Tell me where is Naruto!" Using his Sharingan again, he looks directly into the fox's blood ruby eyes. The tailed beast's own eyes widen for a moment, caught in the illusion Sasuke has now set, before relaxing and gaining the black tomoe of the Sharingan's in his own eyes.

"When the Fourth Hokage sealed me away in his son, he sealed away some of his own chakra as well so that they would meet if Naruto would ever allow the eight tails to be revealed. The Fourth Hokage has taken his son to a more quiet place to talk in private."

Sasuke is caught off guard with that answer. _'The Fourth Hokage…is Naruto's father?'_

Then all of a sudden, Sasuke feels an invisible force crashing into his body and sending him flying through the air. In Naruto's heart, he would have hit a wall but instead in the real world that he wakes up to, he skips on the ground like a thrown pebble. Being caught off guard from being inside Naruto's own hidden world, Pein took that perfect opportunity to wait for two more seconds before he could use his powers again. To stop the Uchiha from controlling the beast on the inside, he attacks and now Sasuke is on the ground in his own pain as the Akatsuki leader pushes himself up.

Several moments pass before the young Uchiha allows himself to fully return to the normal world. Painfully pushing himself through his injuries, that he suspects might have opened up again, he's up in a sitting position as Pein is at least still on his knees. Both of them panting from their exhaustion and it's a staring contest between Rinnegan and Sharingan.

Pein tells him, "I must not allow you to gain complete control over the Kyuubi."

Oh so he knows about that too? How much does this guy know about Sasuke's heritage? Oh well, no matter.

Before he speaks again, Sasuke smirks. "We're both a little late, Pein." Then he looks up and the Akatsuki leader follows suit. Instead of seeing the raging animal that was fighting for its freedom, they don't see it anymore. Just a big crater at the bottom of the mini planet with dust and crumbling rocks everywhere.

"The Kyuubi…is gone?" Pein voices out his observations. Hearing that just made the smirk on Sasuke's face widen even more.

'_Nicely done, Naruto.'_

Then to the Akatsuki leader's surprise, he notices something else on that mini planet. Standing on the surface but looking down at his enemy with golden frog eyes, Uzumaki Naruto is back and ready for the final round!

At this moment, the fight between Sasuke and Pein is over. The Uchiha will hand over this fight to the one who truly wants it. Getting up to a standing position, the smirk hasn't left Sasuke's face as he wonders a little on what the tailed beast told him. Funny, though. He'd never expected the knuckle head to have been the offspring of the Fourth Hokage – the yellow flash and the hero against the nine-tailed beast. But if you really think about it, there are some similarities between the two; looks-wise. That just makes means that this fight truly belongs to Naruto and to him alone. Oh well, at least Sasuke bought the guy some time.

Several minutes later, the planet starts to crumble. Both teenagers didn't expect that to happen but at least Naruto has enough energy to save himself from being a part of the rubble crushing back down on earth and Sasuke is nowhere near where the rubble will fall. Neither is Pein. The two of them just stand there and watch as Naruto leaps from one boulder to the next to avoid being crushed. By the time the falling of the rocks cease, Pein has his own thoughts to ponder while Naruto has his own as well. Plus from what Sasuke can see, keeping his eyes on the spiky blonde, the guy is observing his surroundings and trying to conclude what happened while he let the beast take over. Seeing him looking worried, horrified, and sorrowful from whatever thought he's figuring out in his head and from what the mini slug on his shoulder is telling him – that Sasuke could thankfully still see from his Sharingan eyes; it causes the Uchiha to approach the distressed blonde. He planned on telling him that everyone is alright but something tells him that Naruto figured it out when he sees the small absolute surprise and then tears starting to run down his face – tears of relief.

At least that spares Sasuke some words.

When Naruto wipes his face of the tears, that' when he noticed the spiky raven head approaching him. "Sasuke?" he asks, surprised to see his friend not pinned to the ground like the last time he saw him, or on the verge of death since he was also ready to just give up on life right there in front of him.

The Sharingan user, lands besides the blonde, and he asks him, "What are you doing? Losing control like that and getting yourself captured."

Naruto did not expect him to say those words to him that way. When Sasuke spoke, it didn't sound dead serious or emotionless or even better, unsociable. It sounded like the guy actually cared, in a still 'I'm better than you' sort of way. In time, Naruto relaxes from that little taken back and he replies with a smug look on his face, "Heh. Like you're one to talk, teme."

The guy's back to normal. He's not so angry or so revengeful like how he was before. He actually sounds like the dope Sasuke knows so well. That's a relief, but he's never going to admit that or show it.

"You're a lot stronger than I thought you'd be."

Naruto for sure didn't expect to hear that. Did Sasuke just…praise him?

Slapping the guy from the back of his head to wake him up, Sasuke tells him afterwards, "This fight is yours. It's been yours from the start. You finish him off."

Again, the blonde didn't expect that. What really happened when he was unconscious? Sasuke sounds so different than how he did before. Even when he declared that he was going to fight Pein for his clan, he didn't sound like this. Could it be possible that Sasuke is…coming back to life?

Letting a smug grin appear on his face, Naruto asks, "And what? You're just going to watch?"

Not grinning or smirking back in return, Sasuke, in a very Sasuke-like-way, replies, "Yes. I'll just watch and if you need my help, I'm not far."

"So you saying you got my back, then?"

The Uchiha survivor put on a small smirk that time. Yeah, he's got his back but Sasuke knows that Naruto isn't going to need it. But not to completely ruin his reputation, Sasuke hits Naruto upside the head again. "Don't get too cocky, dope."

Rubbing his head this time, Naruto says to him, "Okay, okay. Stop wacking me, already. Heh. But you better enjoy the show, teme." And the smugness returns. Seeing him act like his old self, it really is a relief to see him like this.

But again, never gonna admit it.

"Hmph."

* * *

><p>Time after time, Naruto continues to surprise Sasuke. As the Uchiha went off to the side like how he said he would, he watched as Naruto and Pein fought for the last time against each other. Saving his chakra, he deactivated his Sharingan and he watched with normal eyes as Naruto's strong, unbendable will stands up to Pein's strength and with one last trick, he uses the Rasengan.<p>

"Give up…ON ME GIVING UP!"

And Naruto defeats him. He sends him flying through the air before crashing into the rocks where he belongs. Uzumaki Naruto has defeated Pein – the leader of the Akatsuki and the murderer of his master, Jiraiya. The most astonishing part, Naruto did so without hatred. He just kept going, just like the dope he is and the one everyone loves. He started the fight with hatred but he ended it with his strong determination and his guts that never gave up. That is so Naruto and that is the true bringer of peace.

But did he really have to copy a line from the book?

Moron.

When the fight was over and Naruto had collapsed after his last attack, Sasuke thought then it's a good time to check on the idiot. Appearing by the collapsed Naruto's side, Sasuke asks him, "Must you always overdo it?"

Turning his head slightly up, Naruto smirks at the Sharingan user and replies, "Hey, I got him didn't I?"

Once a moron, always a moron. No matter how many years pass.

Sasuke just sighs to the blonde's response. Then he offers his hand. Naruto looks at the hand, taken back, and then back at his friend's blank expression. It's not blank like how it always was before when there was nothing but hatred inside of him. It's just the same blank expression he would have when he was he was a teenager. When he was Sasuke, Naruto's best friend/rival. Seeing that face and seeing his offering hand, how can Naruto just lie there and not take it?

Helping the blonde up, Naruto gives the raven head one more grin before turning to look at Pein's defeated body. Looking at that unmoving corpse, even Sasuke knows that things are not over yet. The threat is over but the job's not done until they meet the real Pein. Approaching that body, Naruto kneels down beside it as Sasuke just stands and watches while the blonde pulls the black metal poles out of the body.

"Pein used this to receive chakra, allowing him to move…If I take it out, he shouldn't be able to move anymore."

Continuing to watch him, Sasuke remains still as Naruto stares at one metal rode in his hand. He's probably remembering what Pein had told him earlier about his views on the world and how it works. In a way, Pein was right. This world is ruled by hatred, but it's Naruto's job to fix it after all.

Stabbing the rode through his hand, the snail, Katsuyu, asks him, "Are you going? You should take reinforcements."

"No," he replies to her. "I'm going alone."

Oh yeah. Like that's gonna happen in this century.

Looking up at the Uchiha beside him, Naruto stands back up to face him and say, "Go back to the village and make sure everyone else is okay. This I can handle by myself."

Sasuke shows no reaction to the blonde's words. He's not too terribly surprised to hear him say that but after everything that's happened already, doesn't he know better?

"I know that, dope. However, Pein isn't the only one who needs to know your answer." Naruto was caught off guard by that reply. Being taken off guard, Sasuke continues to say given the opportunity, "You're going to go talk to him and after listening to his side of the story, you'll give him the answer he needs to hear. I want to hear that answer as well. If it's a good enough answer, then I swear to you that I will never abandon Konoha. Possibly."

That last word just threw Naruto off. He was being amazed by the words that were coming out of Sasuke's mouth, until he said that last word.

"What do you mean 'possibly'?" he asks, ready to argue and probably give another one of his oh-so-long speeches. He doesn't have time for that. Sasuke doesn't need the Sharingan to see how much chakra exactly Naruto has left.

"It's a precaution, dope. I probably have to abandon my duties as a Konoha shinobi if I have to save your sorry behind."

Seriously? Even though Naruto had just defeated the most powerful Akatsuki member in the world, Sasuke still believes that he has to always go in and save the day? Oh give Naruto a fricken break!

With his lips curling up into a cocky smirk, Naruto tells him, "Heh! It'll be the other way around, Sasuke. But unlike you, I will never abandon Konoha for any reason! If you leave again, I'll just drag you back screaming and yelling."

As if.

"Hmph," is the only response.

Thinking about it a little more, Sasuke is just as stubborn as Naruto. The only way to stop them from arguing is a higher op telling them to stop and making the decision for them. But there is no longer a higher op and Sasuke made an interesting offer. His words just make Naruto all that determined to find the answer on how to find peace. If Sasuke really wants to know what it is, then so be it.

Sighing, "Alright, you can come but no matter what happens, do not protect me and do not speak for me. Just stand there and listen, since that's all you really want."

That's all Sasuke is asking.

* * *

><p><strong>See? I told you that I wasn't so thrilled about and now you all know why. But yet again, that's just my opinion. What's yours? Was it bad? Good? Possibly not so boring? The next one will be better, I hope, I promise! Till next time, my loves!<strong>


	11. Village Hero

**A/N: Hello, my lovelies. I know I haven't updated in a while but the truth was that this chapter was starting to get a little bit too long and when I thought I was nearing the end of it, I suddenly thought of a few other things I could add in to show that even though the whole Pein thing is over, the battle isn't over yet.**

**Anyway, I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. I would write the story like this if I owned it but alas, it belongs to Kishimoto and in all honesty, I wanna know what happened to the real Madara if you guys who are up-to-date with the manga know what I'm talking about. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming! I know that I said I would update every week but I'm on my senior year of high school and for those that understand college applications, you guys know what I'm talking about right? Plus honor classes. Thank you and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ch. 10: Village Hero<p>

_String_

_Cut_

_Stab_

Once the monuments were done, Sasuke kneels down beside Naruto and puts down the bouquet of paper flowers Konan had given them earlier down in front. Looking up at him when he did that, all Naruto could say is, "Thanks, Sasuke, for everything."

Taking the moment to think, Sasuke is still replaying the events that happened before him not too long ago. Naruto's feelings when he met the real Pein in the face, Pein's , or rather Nagato's, life story, and then Naruto's response to it all. Turning his eyes to the blonde's azure ones, Sasuke says to him, "You better keep your word to them, Naruto."

The small smile that was there when the Uchiha looked grows into a true and giddy smile. "Heh. Since when have I ever broken my promises? I brought you back when I swore I would, didn't I?"

Yes, he did.

Yes, he did…

Both of them turn back to the monuments they made for Yahiko, Nagato, and Jiraiya, and both of them bow their heads, closed their eyes, and raise their hands up into a prayer. Sasuke never been much to pray for anything, not since his clan was massacred, but for the sake of someone he can relate to and understand where his hatred was coming from, he's willing to make an exception.

Both _genin_ arrived to where Nagato was and like Naruto asked him to, Sasuke just stayed on the sidelines and listened as Jiraiya's pupils spoke to one another. Even when Naruto was stabbed by Nagato's metal rod, he stood there and did nothing to help his comrade, or even protect him from it. Though when Nagato tried to do the same to Sasuke, his eyes cried blood and the rib of his Susanno appeared to protect him. Of course, Nagato and Konan were surprised that he was able to do that but that is only because of how he was able to only use a rib of his Susanno and not the entire body like he was doing in battle. Besides that time, it was the only move Sasuke made to remind everyone that he was there. The rest, he just watched and didn't bother to say a word.

"…_But, you chose a different path. In you I can see a different future. And Sasuke."_

Except one other time.

_His voice laced with exhaustion and yet there is a sound of life still remaining in him, Nagato asks the Uchiha, "Do you agree with him? Are you willing to follow this shinobi in his quest for peace, even if it means going against everyone else's hatred? Have you overcome yours?"_

_Both Konan and Naruto turned their attention to the Sharigan user then to hear his answer. For a moment longer, Sasuke took that time to remember when he was in his own self-conscious and when he spoke to the little voice inside of him that decided to take the form of his brother Itachi. Not Uchiha Itachi, the cold-hearted murderer. But Uchiha Itachi, the kind and gentle older brother that Sasuke cared about deeply and had forgotten over the years of his revenge. Remembering his words and his sweet embrace, Sasuke had his own answer for the Akatsuki leader._

"_Hatred is a part of life, and it's our mission as humans to overcome it."_

_Like how Naruto used the words in the book to reply, Sasuke uses the words his brother said to him. The blonde widened his eyes when he heard those words as both Nagato and Konan listen intensively to the Uchiha._

"_All my life I lived solely for the purpose of destroying the cause of my hatred. The cause of my misery. But all I did was cause more unnecessary pain to myself and to those around me. I never want anyone to feel that again, or the misery I feel now when I think about the man I killed. This Mangekyo I now possess will serve as a reminder of what I've done and what I could have done instead of living my life controlled by hate. I have not overcome my hatred yet but I know in time the pain will dull away and then I will help this idiot beside me teach the world how to live free of hatred and know what love could do instead."_

When he said that, he shocked all of them to the point of being speechless. Looking into his cursed Sharingan eyes, there was nothing but pure perseverance and honesty when he spoke those words. He meant every one of them and he will make his words a reality. Because of that, Nagato became the first to respond by smiling. The two ninjas before the Akatsuki leader have retaught him what it means to believe again and so he decided that he will believe in Naruto's dreams and Sasuke's will as he performed the Gedo Rinne Tensei no Jutsu – a jutsu that brought back the lives of the Konoha fallen. Then he, in their place, died and Konan took both his and Yahiko's body with her as she states that she will leave the Akatsuki and give Amegakure's full support to Konoha. With her gone and the fight at last over, Naruto needed to do one more thing. He wanted to make a monument in respect for his teacher and his sibling pupils who have died for the sake of Jiraiya's teachings. He wanted to honor them and once him and Sasuke paid their respects, it is time to return to the village – or at least what's left of it.

* * *

><p>Walking back to the village, that's when Naruto started to let his fatigue affect him. Breathing loudly, his lungs burn for air and his legs ache to rest. Sasuke is feeling a little bit like that as well, along with some of his other wounds that opened up during his battle with Pein but he's not as bad as someone who not only defeated Pein but also nearly went through a full transformation into Kyuubi. Watching the way Naruto is lazily walking, and sometimes using the support of the trees to help him walk, Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if the blonde would collapse right at this moment.<p>

And he did.

Not having the strength to quickly stop Naruto's fall to the ground beneath him, Sasuke didn't have to. When Naruto landed, he lands on Kakashi's back. To say that neither of them were the least bit surprised to see the spiky silver haired mask man would have been a lie. The last thing they knew about him was he died and yet here he is, alive and supporting Naruto to at least stand up straight.

"Good job," he compliments, "both of you." When he looks at Sasuke, his eye curls up into an upside down u to show that he's smiling proudly at the Sharingan user. That smile for one definitely was something Sasuke didn't expect to see. It was like the smile was telling him, 'I'm proud of you.'

Smiling at the sight of his teacher alive, Naruto calls, "Kakashi-sensei…"

"Just lean on me, kay?"

Sasuke did right didn't he? He fought alongside Naruto to for Konoha and even though he was wounded and everyone was telling him to either get out of the way or stay behind because he was wounded, he still just kept fighting – mostly because he's as stubborn as hell but also because he wanted to fight for things that were important to him.

He fought with Naruto as comrades and what kind of comrade would he be if he just lets the sensei carry him all the way back?

Grabbing Naruto's arm, he gains both of their attentions before saying, "I got him, Kakashi."

While Naruto is in gaping shock, Kakashi tries to tell him, "Don't push yourself, Sasuke. You're just as beat up as he is."

"I have some strength left." Pulling the arm to pull Naruto towards him, he puts the arm over his shoulder he supports Naruto's stance and tells him, "Let's keep moving." As they continued on their way, Kakashi remains standing where he is as Naruto gets over his little surprise to smirk at the Uchiha.

"What on earth happened to you while I was in Kyuubi-mode?" he asks.

Sasuke replies, "Nothing special. I just know you can't do anything completely on your own so I'm offering my assistance."

Naruto continues to have that little smug smirk on his face. "Heh. Whatever. I'm too tired to argue back."

"Not tired enough to keep your mouth shut."

"Hey!"

Watching the two of them walk away like that, it reminds Kakashi a lot of their younger days when they just started out as a team. Naruto would always be messing things up just to prove that he's better than Sasuke and then karma would bite him right on the behind. At the end of the day, Naruto would be worn out and beaten up and both Sakura and Sasuke would have to help him walk back home. Seeing this happening before them, it's exactly the same. He may not know what happened between the two of them in Mount Myoboku or what happened when they fought against Pein but whatever happened, these two are back to how they were before as friends. To see them act like this after the horrible arguments they used to have before, it's a big jump from then to now but it brings a sense of ease and peace to the Copy-cat ninja.

The three of them walked all the way back to the village and like despite Sasuke's condition, he had no trouble helping Naruto all the way. They didn't argue or said a word to each other. They were just pleasantly walking back. A comfortable, understanding silence. Then when they reached the edge of the forest at the village is when they get the surprise of their lives.

"Hey, there they are!"

When both Sasuke and Naruto look, their eyes widen at the sight of all of the villagers that all turned to them with joyful smiles on their faces and instantly, they all started cheering and yelling.

"Welcome back!"

"You're our heroes!"

"We'd always believed you two could do it!"

"Thank you!"

"Welcome back!"

All of the cheers were the same or similar to those same ones. Though the one thing they all most certainly have in common is the accepting, grateful eyes each and every one of them have as they look at the Kyuubi Jinchuriki and the last Survivor of the Uchiha clan. For a moment, neither of them could register that this was really happening. Thousands of people cheering for them and calling them 'heroes'? It's all so surreal.

Crawling out from under his jacket, Katsuyu tells them, "I told them everything that happened." They both heard her but their stunned eyes are still on the village cheering for them.

But when Kakashi places his hand on Naruto's shoulder, that's when the two of them turn to look at him as he says, "They've all been waiting for your return." As Team 7 sensei stares at his students before him, he could still remember what they both had said on their first day as a team when he asked them what their dreams were.

"_My dream is to be greater than the Hokage! I'll make everyone in the village acknowledge my existence!"_

"_What I have isn't a dream, but an ambition. I am going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone."_

Both of their dreams came true, one nastier than the other, but look where they are now. Naruto is finally being noticed for what he truly is and Sasuke has a purpose lighter than the one he did before in his eyes. Sasuke has at last found peace.

Moments later, a group of children starts running towards the two heroes of Konoha and their yelling gains back their attention as they yell things like, "Naruto! Sasuke!" "You did good!" "Welcome home!"

Kakashi got out of the way just in time for a whole herd of them to approach his students. All of the children surround Sasuke and Naruto, and even cause the blonde to pull away from the Uchiha, as they start asking them all kinds of questions and clinging onto their clothing with big happy smiles and even bigger admiring eyes.

"Hey, what was the enemy like?"

"Are you two hurt?"

Naruto tries to tell them all, "Ow! Don't push!"

One child goes up to Sasuke, a girl, and tells him, "You're so cool, Sasuke-kun!"

Another one, a boy, says, "I wanna be just like you when I become a ninja!"

"Thank you so much, Sasuke-kun! I love you!" Then that girl wraps her little arms around the Uchiha's chest to give him a thankful hug and has her cheeks bloom in a light shade of red from his warmth. As some of the other children do the same to Naruto, at least the blonde is sort of acting normal. Sasuke is more stunned by such affection or admiration than he is.

In the crowd, Hinata, alive and well, starts crying unable to contain her joy of seeing Naruto alright and alive. Fukasaku, Shima, and Gamakichi also stand in the crowd, the two small frogs sitting on the bigger one's head, and they all look at the child of prophecy and the Uchiha survivor proudly without saying a single word to express it all. Also in the crowd, someone is walking through everyone and making her way to the two of them.

Sasuke only noticed their new visitor when he suddenly hears, "You're always so reckless, you idiot!"

_Bonk_

He turns to look just in time to see Naruto falling onto Sakura's shoulder and being held there. While the blonde is confused by such closeness by the pink haired medic, Sakura reaches over to Sasuke and pulls him to her as well. With both of them in her arms, Sakura hugs them tightly and close. The children stare at the scene either in astonishment, surprise, or admiration for the touching scene.

"Thank you," is all she can say to them.

Watching from the crowd, Team Kurenai, Team Asuma, and Team Guy all look at them just as proudly as Fukasaku and Shima are now. Even Shikamaru is looking at Sasuke with no longer any resentment or mistrust. He looks at him like he's a comrade and someone to be admired for the good deeds that he's done.

Before, Naruto was nothing more than a troublemaker and Sasuke was an avenger.

When they left, Sasuke became a rogue ninja and Naruto was a man on a mission to become stronger to bring his friend home.

When they came back, Naruto was admired but Sasuke was untrusting.

When they returned home now, both of them come back as heroes.

* * *

><p>The rebuilt of Konoha started immediately. As pleasant as a long rest sounds to two of Konoha's most heroic heroes, no rest for the wicked and even if everyone else wanted to rest, there are no houses to sleep in for such a thing. So as tents were being set up as temporary homes, as well as medical tents as well, everyone instantly begins working.<p>

After piling up the last bit of lumber, the carpenter wipes the sweat from his brow before turning over to the guy who helped him and says, "Hey, thanks man. These lumbers weight a ton together but you were able to carry them no sweat."

Hearing him, Sasuke turns to face him before answering, "My village needs their homes rebuilt as soon as possible. It's the least I could do for now." The carpenter just laughs.

"I never got your name. What is it?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

When he told the man his name, the carpenter becomes silent. Then a minute later, he bursts out, exclaiming a sound of surprise and pointing a finger at the Uchiha teenager. "Uchiha? You're the one who helped our village against Gato and you killed Orochimaru, one of the tree legendary sannins."

Well that sort of came out of nowhere. "Yes, I did."

Now in blinking gasp, the carpenter takes another moment before waking up from his shock and remembering what he should be doing right now in the presence of such a great man. "Allow me to thank you properly." He bows to the Uchiha. "I am forever in your dept. You not only saved our village but you saved the world from such a dangerous man. No words could describe the depths of my gratitude that I feel for you right now."

"What I did was what anyone would have done to protect the weak," Sasuke tells him. The carpenter looks up to face the Uchiha and Sasuke simply tells him, "At your village, it wasn't me who saved it. It was our village's number one hyper active knuckle-headed ninja and the courage of your own people. I had little to do with what happened then."

"But…you were the one who killed Orochimaru, correct?"

When he asked that, that's when Sasuke decides to smirk at the man before him. With a bit of smug in his eyes, he responds, "His destruction I'll take credit for." While the man is still in gaping shock, and is probably speechless at the moment, Sasuke takes the moment to relish in the moment. Then he says, "If this is all there is, then I need to go. Other work needs to be done for this village."

The carpenter found his tongue and his senses when Sasuke said that. "O-Of course! Thank you again for your help."

Sasuke nods and then turns around to leap into the air and rush off to any other area that may need his assistance. If Sakura would see her now, he knows for a fact that she would be harping at him for not taking it easy on his body. It's been a few hours since Pein's attack and he rested during those hours. Nothing is going to get done if he just sits around during nothing. Naruto probably feels the same but he's not slick enough to escape Sakura's watchful eye.

Though running on top from one pile of lumber to the next, Sasuke comes to a very interesting sight at the corner of his eye. Stopping to look, he sees Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi talking to two other people; a preteen and an old man. Looking at those specific two, there's a sense of familiarity about them. Staring just a little longer, Sasuke recognizes them – the old man before the boy. He leaps off the pile of lumber and glides down to the ground before walking over.

On the way, he hears the old man asks the three people before him, "Where's Sasuke? I wanted to talk to him, too."

Naruto responds, sounding more tired and exhausted than the last time Sasuke saw him, "Actually, old man, that's what we'd like to know."

"Sasuke's right there," Kakashi says, pointing past them. The other four turn to look and sure enough, there's Sasuke walking towards them acting like he's just taking a simple walk in the park.

Now being part of the conversation, he greets the two old friends, "Yo." The two new people before him, he remembers then as Tazuna and Inari. Tazuna as the first C-rank, that turned B-rank, client when Team 7 first started out and Inari is his grandson. Sasuke could still remember that little trip to the Land of Waves but the few things he remembers most about then was the ninjas they had to fight and the selfish, twisted gang leader, Gato. Now after the three years, Inari's grown taller and Tazuna's grown older.

As soon as Naruto sees Sasuke, he doesn't say anything right away but that didn't last long before he blows off, "Teme! Don't 'yo' us! Where the heck have you been?"

Instead of getting angry and yelling like some people, Sakura says to the raven-head shinobi, "You really shouldn't be moving around too much. You need to recover your strength."

Not showing that he's affected by the yelling or the concerned words, Sasuke responds to them, "I'm fine, Sakura. And dope, if you have energy to spare, do your part in helping out."

And of course Naruto became insulted enough to yell again, "Who's the one who saved everyone?" Sasuke says nothing, just stares at the blonde while Naruto has half a mind to sucker punch the guy. Who the heck does he think he is?

"Hahahaha! You two hardly changed from the last time I saw you," Tazuna bursts out laughing. Gaining their attention again, Inari just smiles at everyone as his grandfather calms down to say, "But Sasuke, sorry we missed you when you visited our village. One of my workers told me that two strangers were asking for me but I was at the Lightning Country. When he described what you'd looked like, I recognized you right away."

Naruto and Sakura didn't expect to hear that from him. Naruto actually turned back to the Uchiha and asks, "You went to his village? When?" Kakashi is just watching with what looks like mild interest. He already has a theory that Sasuke probably had some fun during the time he was missing.

Making it sound like common knowledge, Sasuke replies, "I was taking a little detour after I killed Orochimaru. I was gathering members for a squad to hunt down Itachi. One of them wanted Zabuza's sword but it wasn't at his grave."

"Yeah," Tazuna agrees. Finishing, he explains, "Daikoku Tenzen took that sword when he decided to come in and capture him. Since Zabuza was already dead, he took the sword. And when we came back home, we hear that Daikoku's house was destroyed shortly after you asked about the sword. You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with it, did you?"

"I am not responsible for that damage. My team member was."

"You were still a part of it."

Despite the pleasant reunion of first advance mission companions, there is still work that needs to be done. Tazuna and Inari knew that so they didn't talk for long. Shortly after that conversation, plus many others that came afterwards, Tazuna and Inari head off to work, Inari waving back at Team 7, and Naruto is the only one waving backing.

"It's nice to see them again and doing so well," Sakura notes. None of them couldn't agree more.

Seeing them going off to work, Sasuke turns around to go back on his quest for any kind of work he can find to keep himself busy. But before he could go very far…

"Hold it, Sasuke-kun." Sakura stops him by grabbing his collar from behind. Stopping and turning around with a questionable look on his face, Sakura has what could be considered a scolding look a parent would usually give. "You are not going to wander off again. You're still recovering from the fight and over exerting yourself isn't going to help you any."

He simply tells her, "I've rested enough, Sakura. I can't keep sitting around doing nothing."

"With your beat up body, yes you can!"

Watching them talk like that, Naruto just remains in the background with interest in his eyes. That's right. Now that Sasuke is back, Sakura is happier right? After all, she chose Sasuke since she first laid eyes on him in the Academy. Naruto was able to keep his promise to her and even though he's more proud of the fact that he could save his best friend and bring him back home, he's happy to know that he could clear away the dark shadow over Sakura's heart. After a brief tender smile, Naruto soon replaces it with his signature big goofy one.

"I'm gonna head off now! See ya guys later!" He was also walking away as he said that and when they heard him, Sakura turns her attention from Sasuke to the blonde now moving farther and farther away from them.

With her eyes off, Sasuke walks away as well in the opposite direction. "Hmpth." Sakura looks between the two of them, not believing that they would be so reckless as to try and work when they're in no condition to do so! She's also wondering which one she should go after and drag back.

Seeing that she needs help, Kakashi calls out, "Naruto, I do have a job for you." Stopping in his tracks, both Naruto and Sakura turn to him now in either thrill of the new job or disbelief that he's allowing this. But the one-eyed ninja looks at Sakura for a moment before motioning his head to Sasuke's direction and then walking pass her to the blonde. Oh. That's why. "A very special one. Something that doesn't involve too much effort but helps out a lot."

Now excited, Naruto is about ready to jump out of his skin as he asks, "What, what, what?" Sakura rushes off after Sasuke.

Once in front of the blonde, Kakashi quickly goes to his headband, lifts it up to reveal his Sharingan eye, and after a long second of staring at it, Naruto's eyelids are suddenly really heavy and he feels really sleepy. Unable to help himself, he leans back and Kakashi places his headband back as Naruto collapses to the ground, asleep. "Sleeping and resting."

As Kakashi dealt with Naruto, Sakura catches up to Sasuke and reaches out to grab his shoulder. "Hold it!" Shoots.

Stopping and turning to look at the pink haired konichi, Sakura looks like a child pouting. "Do you really wanna help out? Then there is one job I can give you that won't overexert yourself."

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><p><strong>And this is where I cut it off till next chapter. Now this past week's chapter was not posted so hopefully it will this week and I'll be done with the next chapter. But as always, I'm not too sure since I hardly have time to write.<strong>

**But how was it? Bad? Good? Pretty corny? Let me know. Don't be shy. Till next time!**


	12. Welcome Home

**A/N: Hi guys! Whew! That actually took a little longer than I thought… Oh well. Got it done now things can start turning here. At the end of the chapter, I left a few little things to show that despite this little taste of 'happily ever after', it ain't over yet! But I must warn you that finals are coming up for me soon and if you don't see an update for the next three weeks, please pardon me like you've always have until now.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. I would rewrite it like this if I did but it belongs to Kishimoto and I seriously want to know what the heck happened to Sasuke and Itachi! I care about Naruto and seriously wish to kill the fake 'Madara' for using the dead jinchuriki, but I need my Uchihas! Come on!**

**Thank you to those who have reviewed and please keep them coming. I love them all and I am grateful to every one of them! Thank you and please enjoy!**

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><p>Ch. 11: Welcome Home<p>

The job Sakura offered to Sasuke, it's working at the medical tents. Just because a lot of people came back to life doesn't mean that those who survived the whole thing didn't have any injuries. But most of them are nothing too serious so basically it's all just a little graze there, a few fractures here, maybe one or two broken bones, or anything that a first-aid kit can handle alone. So yes, simple and something Sasuke can work without having to learn medical ninjutsu. He's knows some from training under Orochimaru but not a lot like some certain pupil under the great medical ninja in the world.

After offering the job and agreeing to it, Sakura and Sasuke both walked over to where the injured were. Sakura actually didn't have to work since she's probably near her limits but she knows that if she leaves Sasuke alone, he might get bored and head off to do something reckless. So until near nightfall, it's help a patient there, stop the bleeding there, apply a little ointment, and wrap the wound securely but comfortably tight. However, in the middle of the whole thing, there one other incident.

Sasuke was taking a breather and seeing him looking a little tired, one of the nurses came up to him to give him a towel to wipe away his sweat. He politely accepted it and the nurse was in La-La land when he thanked her. He didn't think too much of it. Although as he was wiping away his sweat, he sees Sakura tending to an extremely tired Yamato at one of the medical benches. The Uchiha boy recognized him from that time his team tried to bring him back the first time after two and a half years. Yamato was Kakashi's replacement at the time, if he's not mistaken. As he was watching them talk, Yamato looked like he was telling Sakura that he's fine. Just a little rest and he'll be good, when she decides to whisper in his ear about something. The wood-user looked a little caught off guard when she did that but he gives her a small smile and nods. Then Sakura bowed and he must be telling her again that it's okay.

That was interesting. What were they whispering about? But yet again, it's none of Sasuke's concern.

At sunset, all of the patients for the day are mended and now resting to heal their wounds and recover more of the strength for the big work ahead of them once they're well again. Coming out of the tent with a water canteen in hand, Sakura lets out an exhausted sigh and thinks to herself, _'Finally done. That was actually more tiring than I thought.'_ But when she comes out, she sees an interesting sight.

Not too far away, she sees Sasuke standing there and just looking up at the changing colored sky. He's just staring at it, as if in deep thought about something or he's in his own little world. Seeing him like that, Sakura never saw him like that before. She noticed long ago that he would be staring at something but it was always with a look like he's plotting something. Like he knew how the world worked and he was scheming some kind of ultimate plan to rid the world of its cause. He was also always staring down. Looking at him now, he's looking up and with an expression that looks like he's thinking of the future – what is to become, what he can do about it, and when the time comes, he will accept whatever is given to him. It's an alien look for Sakura to see because just a few days ago, Sasuke was staring down.

Approaching the pondering Uchiha, Sakura lets the strangeness pass so she could call to him, "Sasuke-kun." As if not disturbed by his thoughts, he responds by casually turning his head towards her as she offers the water bottle in her hands. "Here."

"Thanks," he responds, accepting the water.

As he takes a drink from it, she tells him, "You've worked hard today and were a major help. I should be the one thanking you. But it doesn't mean that the work is done, yet. Tomorrow, there's bound to be some work injuries. Shouldn't be too bad, hopefully." Then she smiles at him to show her good spirits and lowering the bottle, he stares at that smile. Even her smile is different from before.

"You've changed."

Huh?

Caught off guard, Sakura asks, "I'm sorry?"

"I mean, you're not the same as when you were a gennin," he responds, lowering the bottle completely to his side. Capturing her eyes in his gaze, he adds, "You're not whiny or complaining, you stay focus and work hard, and you're not boasting about every little thing you can do better than the others. You've matured."

Did Sasuke…really just say all that? Did he just…_compliment_ her? It's something Sakura is having a hard time believing at the moment. But what is definitely real is after he said all of that and looks at her directly into her eyes is her heart pounding fast in her chest. Almost like when he went off after Naruto but now it's beating harder than it did then.

Unable to handle the embarrassment she's feeling and is probably showing on her face, Sakura looks away and responds, "I-I have my teammates to thank for that. I was always being protected and I couldn't do anything on my own. Watching the two of you, it inspired me and then when you left, I worked even harder because I wanted to bring you back home, too."

Silence passes between them after that. When he didn't say anything, Sakura gathers the courage to look at the man who plagued her dreams and filled her heart with dread and despair all these years and in her emerald eyes, there isn't a hint of anger she wishes to release on him and make him realize exactly what she's been through because of him. Only waiting for him to say something; anything at all to make her believe that what is happening right now is not a dream. That this is real. That he is real and what's happening right now is reality and not another fantasy she would imagined. The other villagers are either resting in their tents or are staying somewhere else so now, it is only the two of them and no one else. No one to disturb them or listen in on their conversations.

"Do you remember what you said to me that night? When I left?" he asks.

How can she ever forget? It was her first real pain that she'd ever felt in her whole life. Her first heartbreak and it became the start of her motivation to become stronger and bring him back to her after relying on Naruto to do it for her. But what surprises her most of all is that he's mentioning that night. "Which part?"

"When you said you loved me. I'm curious to know after everything I've done, do you still feel that."

What is going on? His voice and his eyes look and sound so tender and so sincere. This could not be happening. This never happened before in reality. Only in her dreams, but he's looking at her and only at her and he's speaking these words only to her.

"Sasuke-kun-" She was going to ask him what was going when all of a sudden, he feels his warm hand against her cheek. "Wh…" Dropping to the ground, Sasuke's water bottle spills its contents all over the dirt when it landed. But when it landed, Sasuke has leaned over to Sakura's face and places against her lips a soft, firm, simple kiss.

To say that Sakura has the biggest shock of her life would be an understatement. At this moment, it feels like her heart is about to burst. Sakura had dreamt about this kiss and dreamed that she would one day experience it, but never in her life had she ever thought she actually have it and this soon. Everything is happening so fast. She's confused, she's rejoicing, she's in denial, she's happy, and she melting away into total bliss.

With her hands on his shoulders, with her Tsunade-like strength she pushes him off. "Wh-What are you doing?" she asks, now completely blushing red and too embarrassed to look at him in the eyes. Sasuke is a little surprised that she pushed him away. It's what she always wanted, isn't it? But looking at her face, she looks so lost and confused but happy.

With his hand still on her cheek, he strokes it tenderly with his thumb as he tells her, "It's my life now. It's not my clan's, it's not my brother's; it's mine and I'm making the most of it. You've been waiting a long time, haven't you?" Then he leans in to kiss her again and she would have given in to it. Yes, she has been waiting a long time for this moment but there is just one more thing that stops her from completely losing herself.

"But wait!" she tells him quickly. He does and she steps back to look at him. She's extremely nervous and her face is so red but in her eyes there is a stronger, more independent look in them. It is every girl's dream to find prince charming and run off into the sunset with him but she's a lot stronger than that. In the three years, she has grown stronger both physically, definitely physically, and also mentally. Before she risks it all, she asks him, "Do you…do you love me?"

Her question was surely something he didn't expect her to ask. Does he love her? Asking that question himself, he drops his hand from her cheek and takes a step back. She is surprised to see him do that but she looks back at him as he responds, "I don't know, but I would like to learn."

So he doesn't love her but he wants to learn to do so? Maybe that's to be expected since he just started to show other sides of himself when both her and Naruto were about to accept the colder, eviler side of him. It's flattering to hear those words but they hurt.

"Then let's not do this now," she tells him, firmly. Observing her as she's actually being the one to reject him – him of all people; Sakura tells him truthfully and sincerely, "Sasuke-kun, I do love you. I've always loved you and I will continue to do so forever on. But I know that it'll hurt so much more if you only decided to be with me just because I'm the first available girl to throw herself at you. That would hurt a lot more than it would to be left behind again. I want to…I want to _mean_ something to you, Sasuke-kun. I don't want to be some toy you can play and experiment on."

Sakura really has changed. Definitely she's matured independently.

Sasuke actually had to fight the urge to run his fingers through her pink hair while he apologizes, "Forgive me, Sakura. I didn't mean to make you feel like that." Surprisingly enough, he wants to touch her to assure her that he's serious about his apology but he'll probably just be pushing his luck if he touches her in a more friendlier way than just comrades. Though he can tell that she understands.

"You're also trying too hard," she tells him. "Trying to help everyone, always working, trying different ways to interact with people; they're a good ways to start over but they're not you. I know it's been a while but just be yourself. What just happened was a dramatic event and something everyone is going to have a hard time overcoming but we're all alive right now. We'll be able to live another day. We have time. You don't need to rush things, with anything!"

She says these words but Sasuke can easily tell that she's hurting herself with her own words. After all the times he rejected her love and left her behind to rot, she's the one doing the rejected when the boy of her dreams is practically asking for her hand. But like he noticed before, she has grown stronger over the three years.

Taking the risk, Sasuke touches her face again. He strokes her cheek and Sakura turns red again. She's trembling from how this touch makes her feel inside but also, she's a little afraid of what he's going to do now. Even with her strength, she knows she doesn't have the power to fight him off, nor the will. He can do anything to her. She's at his mercy. But Uchiha Sasuke has a lot more pride than that.

"You may slap me if you wish."

_Slap_

Shocking enough, she actually did it.

Right across the face, Sakura slapped Sasuke but he didn't widen his eyes because she actually slapped him. Her slap felt like a punch. He wasn't expected that really. Yes, he knows that she's been training under Tsunade and gained her incredible monstrous strength, but he didn't think she would use it on him. Or is she so used to by her new strength she can't tell the difference between a slap and a punch?

Facing her since his head was snapped into the direction of her hit, Sakura says to him as soon as she locked eyes with him, "That was for running away and trying to be someone you're not. But this is for coming home and saving us."

Then to another surprise, Sakura tiptoes up towards Sasuke's face un-hesitantly and without any rush at all. She presses her lips against his and without a moment to think about it, he kisses her back. A slap and then a kiss, yes it wasn't two events he was expecting to happen so closely together. However, what he is given he will accept. Even though he does not _love_ her like how she loves him, he wants her to be certain that he is serious about learning to try. Who knows how long it will take but for now, enjoy the kiss that makes Sakura's insides melt into goo, sends her heart beating a thousand miles per hour, and makes her knees feel weak and sluggish. She had to replace her hands on his shoulders in order to steady her and he didn't pause in the least to wrap his arms around her to help her and keep her close so she couldn't run away or disappear. For him in this kiss, it almost feels as if she brings to him a small sense of peace that he now so longs for in his restarted life in the village. That is proof enough for him that this will work.

When the heated kiss finally broke apart for air, Sasuke lightly smirks at Sakura's red, panting face. "You wanted another kiss." As if she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar, her face becomes an even darker shade of red out of total embarrassment. Cute. "Will you wait?" he asks softly and sincerely. Grasping one of her hands, he looks at her directly in eyes to watch her reaction. She looks back, searching for any hint of deceit of any kind. There is none and she softly smiles in response.

"I've waited all my life. A little more wouldn't hurt. Oh but Sasuke!" He didn't expect that last part, or when she decides to pull away just a bit but still hold his hand in response as she tells him, "We have something to show you. Follow me."

"We?" But before she could answer that, Sakura starts leading him towards somewhere.

All during the time to get to this one place, Sakura has held Sasuke's hand. Strangely enough, he doesn't seem to mind it. So when he held her hand back with a gentle grip, it made Sakura's heart leap and beam with a confidence to be proud of holding hands with him through the partially rebuilt village. None of them said a word about it and in that way, it was nice. Sakura was leading Sasuke through the partially built houses. Seeing how well built they all are and how many they are, Sasuke could already tell that Yamato must have been busting his butt all day. No wonder he ended up in the medical tents. But near the edge of the village by the forest, Sakura leads Sasuke to turn at one corner.

"We're here!" she cheers, showing her what's before them. When Sasuke looks, his eyes widen in surprise. Before the two of them is Sasuke's house. Maybe not the exact one he was born in, where he was raised, and where his parents died but it looked exactly like it – with the same building structure and the same tree growing near the front door. It's the perfect replica. Like it was never destroyed in the first place and became the only building in the whole village that survived. It's just in a different location and not surrounded by the other empty Uchiha houses. One would think that when his birth home was destroyed, he could be relieved because it would be like the memorial of his blood-covered, dreadful past was erased and thus he could start anew with a new home. But he didn't see it as that way at first. It was like someone had pressed the 'restart' button on his life because rather the new house looks like his old house, it's still a new house.

Looking at his face to see his dumbstruck expression, it's a look Sakura was hoping she would see. "Come." Pulling a little more, she leads him to the front entrance. The second she slides the door open-

_Bang_

Confetti shoots out and instantly starts gliding down before the still stun-eyed Sasuke.

"Welcome home, Sasuke!" cheers Naruto and Yamato with the empty confetti shots in their hands. Kakashi and Sai behind them clap and Sakura joins in with them. Sasuke doesn't say anything. He's just speechless and for the first with these people, he doesn't know what to do in this kind of situation.

Sakura tells him, "I asked Yamato to rebuild your house as a 'welcome home' present. With everything that's happened, now just seemed like the appropriate time to celebrate."

Sounding tired yet cheerful, Yamato adds, "I had to consume a few food pills to have the energy to do so, and to keep standing." Sakura turns back to him and has an apologetic look on her face. So this is what she was talking to him about in the medical tent.

"Ne, Sasuke!" Naruto cheers, approaching him. "What do you think? I tried to make your new home look like your old one from memory but the only one who knows this place backwards and frontwards would be you. If there is anything different, please don't be angry with me."

Sai adds in, "I'm pretty sure he would understand when he becomes the judge of the garden you had a hard time remembering what the size was."

Turning to him with a dead look on his face, Naruto threatens, "Sai, don't push your luck with me."

Looking at all of them, all of their happy faces and friendly vibes, it's all so very alien to the Uchiha. He's remembering how things back then were like this before he allowed himself to become completely consumed in darkness and 'now' is the same as 'then'. Watching his student's face, Kakashi can see everything that Sasuke is feeling and he can see the deep confusion in his eyes as well. He remembers when he was like that. When he thought he would never be happy again because happiness was for fools and then after so long of being numb, something happens that just touches his ice hold heart and melts away all of the barriers he had worked so hard to build up. He can see the beginning of such events happening to Sasuke right now.

Then at last, he speaks.

"You did…all of this…for me?" Sasuke asks, softly and in a mumble but everyone heard him. They look at him, a bit caught off guard that he's this surprised but Kakashi understands.

"You're a member of Team 7 way before you became the hero of the village. Those that don't know you accept you now after believing you were a rogue ninja for three years." Which he basically was but the villagers don't know that for sure… "But for us, those that do know you and trained hard to bring you back, I can proudly say that you are worth every effort we put in to bring you back."

Getting what he's saying, Naruto hyperly adds in, "Hell yeah, you were! You gave me a run for my money, teme. But here is no longer any doubt at all who the stronger one is here, right?"

"If you're referring to you being the stronger one, Naruto, then that is debatable," Sai also cuts in. He is really starting to get on Naruto's nerve here.

"Sai, shut it," he warns again, but the ANBU ninja just continues to have that grin nice and wide on his face.

Then Yamato adds in like a true captain of the team, and to ignore the other two arguing idiots, "I may not know you like the others and the last time we met, we started on wrong terms but I will admit forcing myself to recreate this building was worth it. Everyone has a home, Sasuke, and yours is with us."

Then going back to cheerful, wow this guy is an emotional roller coaster, Naruto tries to look like a sweet and innocent little kid as he says, "So we were also wondering if you would be kind enough to let us stay with you for a couple of days until the rest of the village is rebuilt. You wouldn't leave us on the streets now would you?"

_Bonk_

And of course after he asks such a thing, Sakura hits him right on the head. "Idiot! You don't just ask him right off the bat after browning nosing him! What's wrong with you?"

"But, Sakura-chan, he has room. He has a whole house to himself now. I'm sure he doesn't want to be lonely all by himself."

_Chuckle_

That surprises everyone. Sakura stops glaring death at Naruto and he stops trying to look cute and innocent as they, plus those who were watching them, look up to the most shocking sight of them all. Despite Sasuke in one day changing into his old thirteen-year old self they used to know, this became a sight they never thought they would see so soon.

'_These people…'_

"You guys are a bunch of morons."

'_Naruto would never let it go if I admit it but he's right.'_

On Sasuke's face, his lips have curled up. He chuckled, and for only a moment, but the smile that came with it stays on his face and he has the expression of one thinking that the people around him are acting entertainingly silly.

'_This team…this village…they are my family now and an Uchiha only thinks about and watches out for the family.'_

"I do have the extra room and a few days couldn't hurt anyone."

'_I am a Konoha shinobi and we have a Will of Fire. I thought I lost it when I abandoned this village but it's enflamed within me once again with a purpose. I will never condemn what I have ever again. I will protect this village and I will do whatever it takes to protect my comrades and my family.'_

With the sweet and gentle smile still on his face, it still shocks everyone that Sasuke has it. The last time they saw him smile was years and it was always a small one with a hint of cockiness in them. But the one he has on his face right now, it's different because there is no cockiness. It's light-hearted and meaningful. It's mesmerizing and dazzling. Naruto becomes the first to get over his shock because right now, he's very happy to at last get his friend back.

He smiles back and greets again, "Welcome home, teme!"

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><p>But just because Konoha is enjoying a happily-ever-after-moment, doesn't mean that it is a happily ever after. Madara is still alive and man is he upset.<p>

"Pein has fallen?" he asks after hearing the report of the Akatsuki spy.

The black Zetsu replies, **"Yes, Madara-sama."**

The white one asks, "What do we do now? Pein was defeated by Uchiha Sasuke and the Kyuubi's Jinchuriki. Uchiha Sasuke may not be the hateful, revenger anymore. Plus, there is no word back from Konan."

With his fists tightly clenched into balls at his side, Madara sounds like he's growling through his teeth as he says, "She has betrayed Akatsuki then if she has not died in battle. I will deal with her soon enough, but right now. Sasuke is essential. We need him on our side. He just needs to be reminded of his hate." Then he turns to the side and heads towards the direction of a door in the far right corner of the room. Zetsu only watches the true leader, masked man of the Akatsuki as he opens the door and says, "It is time to redeem yourselves for failing to bring back the Hachibi. Go to Konoha immediately and remind your leader why he created Hebi in the first place."

In the room, Suigetsu twirls his sword with his fingers before grasping its handle firmly in his hand with a wide toothy smirk across his face; Juugo opens his eyes to meet the orange swirly mask after taking a short nap up against the wall, his body that reverted to a child after fighting the eight-tailed jinchuriki has returned it his normal adult form; and Karin finishes tying her hair back into a high ponytail with strong determination burning in her eyes.

The sensory ninja replies in place of her team, "Yes, Madara-sama."

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><p>"Amazing!" a little voice exclaims, staring down at Konoha from the cliff's edge not far away. Even though the owner of the little voice is so close to the edge, no fear is revealed or expressed as the owner's eyes continue to gaze out at the half-rebuilt village in the setting light.<p>

Even though the small voice is speaking to no one in particular, it continues to say, "This village is everything that he described. A will that never burns out and the perseverance to get back up once they're down. This village is so admirable! It was destroyed only a few hours ago and now look at it! It's rebuilding itself and at a fast pace. When papa comes back, I'll show him what his village has gone through and what it's doing to heal."

Looking up at the darkening sky, crimson red eyes gleams with innocent joy and glee as the voice prays, "Papa, come back soon."

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><p><strong>I told you I had some interesting things in the end that prove that the story ain't over yet! But I hope my little last thing here. It's an idea I had for a while and it was re-inspired after watching the fourth Naruto Shippuden OVA. Also, I told you guys that this wasn't a yaoi and here is my proof. Just to let you all know, I would drop dead before I write another SasuSaku moment again in any story besides this one! I am a die hard ItaSasu fan and I nearly threw up at least six times as I was writing the SasuSaku.<strong>

**But besides that, and before I decide to get sick again, how was it? Bad? Good? Terrible? Let me know! Until next time!**


	13. Return of Team Hebi

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I'm glad that some of you guys like the first chapter of the winner story idea I told you all I was going to unleash when YOMO or WYLM was finished. Since those stories are over a year old, I figure what better Christmas present? Besides, I had no idea of what ItaSasu Christmas one-shot I could write that will be finished in time.**

**Anyway! For those who read YOMO and the author's note in that, I know that I said I was going to unleash round two of Which ItaSasu Story is Next, but only now someone decides to tell me that I am in violation of some rules. So no more of that. I'll just figure out, whenever I get a story done, what idea I will publish next.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, I would write it similar to this but Naruto belongs to Kishimoto and I think I should let him have it because it's getting a little interesting between Naruto and Kyuubi right now, or should I just call Kyuubi Kurama. Interesting name really. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and please keep them coming! I love them all so very much and it makes me so happy to get them! I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I'm a bit worried but yet again, I'm always worried about everything. Thank you all and please enjoy!**

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><p>Ch. 12: Return of Team Hebi<p>

"So Naruto, when are you going to ask Hinata out on a date?"

As soon as Sasuke asked that question, first Naruto's face bursts into a red delicious apple, then steam escapes out of his ears like a boiling tea pot, and finally, he trips over his own feet over absolutely nothing. Maybe it was expected for him to be so taken back by the question that he would fall over, but what was with his face getting all red and hot for?

It's the next day after the destruction of Konoha, its rebuilt, and Sasuke's little return home present, and Team 7 – minus Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai – are walking through the carpenter area again like where they reunited with Inari and his grandfather. It's still really early in the morning so there are no new found injuries for Sakura and Sasuke to worry about and the rest the other medical ninjas could take care of the rest. They're actually, in truth, going to go check on Tsunade's condition. After Pein's attack that wiped out the village and using her chakra to heal as many of the wounded as she could, Lady Hokage went into a coma and has yet to awaken. They're going to see if Shizune reported any change or if the Fifth Hokage has woken up. But considering all of the chakra she used and how low her stamina became afterwards, it'll be too soon for relief if she wakes up now.

Recovering from his little freak out, still red and hot in the face, Naruto faces the composed Uchiha and exclaims, "Huh? Where did this come from?"

Sasuke raises a brow to that. "Are you really so blind? Even after she not only risked her life for you, she confessed to you as well. You really are hard of hearing, aren't you?" More steam escapes out of the blonde's ears and Sakura just watches the scene with curiosity.

Not that she doesn't know what Hinata so heroically accomplished but she too wants to know what her teammate's response to it all. Does he accept Hinata's confession or reject it? He didn't exactly have the time then to reply to her.

"W-Well…I-I…t-that is…" Great, now the blonde is stuttering. In the face of death, he shows no fear but when it comes to topics like this, he's a mess.

"I think you should," Sakura tells him, cheerily. "She's always been watching you and you've always been her inspiration to do better. She's pretty, she's kind, and I think that she'd always noticed how great you really are before any of us even looked." When she smiles at him, it was to encourage him but the way he saw it, it was like another form of rejection from her to him. Seeing the slightly hurt expression on his face, the only person who noticed it is Sasuke. Sakura didn't see it as it eventually disappears just as quickly as it appeared.

"I guess I can..try…" he mumbles, the blush returning to his face again as he looks away, almost embarrassed.

In other words, do the same thing Sasuke is trying to do now with Sakura. The Uchiha hasn't been oblivious to Naruto's feelings. He noticed a long time ago that Naruto liked Sakura since their academy days. But if you ask him, Naruto needs someone more deserving. Someone who's worked hard to at least get the guy to say more than hi to her.

"If you don't want to, then you don't have to," Sasuke tells him. Both of his comrades look at him in confusion as he adds, "But I do feel bad for the girl who risked her life for someone as unappreciative as you."

Again, Naruto falls to the floor from the sharp words of his friend. Quickly recovering, the blonde argues back, "I'm not unappreciative! But I never asked her to risk her life for me in the first place!"

Youch, that hurts. Sakura for one is shocked by Naruto's words but before she could go over and smack the guy, Sasuke asks him, "So are you saying that she shouldn't have wasted her time or you didn't want her to get hurt for you?"

"I didn't want her to get hurt at all!"

Shocked by his own words as soon as he said that, Naruto's eyes are now wide and both him and Sakura are left in blinking surprise. Did he just basically confess hidden feelings he may have for Hinata or something? Things he may have realized but not fully? Sasuke doesn't look like he's surprised about it in the least. He looks more how anyone would be when their friend has finally realized things but in a calm and cool way. "Alright then. As I said before, you can ask her on a date or not. It's up to you, but at least give the girl an answer and a 'thanks for saving me'."

Now the other two are surprised because of him. To Naruto, he's wondering when did Sasuke suddenly become so wise and all-knowing especially about this kind of topic? To Sakura, she's always known that he's smart but to give such sensible advice like that, forgive her hormones but her heart is pounding at how cool he's being right now. Just like when they were younger. _'Sasuke-kun…'_

However, from his words, Naruto suddenly realizes something. "Hold on! Where's my 'thanks' for dragging you back home?"

Well there goes that moment.

Sasuke just replies to him, "Like I'm going to give something like that to an undeserving dope like you." Then he starts walking away.

It was nice while it lasted at least…

Naruto is stunned for a moment after he heard that. Sakura just sighs as she knows what's going to happened next. "You unappreciative jerk! Come and fight me!" Naruto screaming and chasing after the Uchiha.

Unknown to both, Sasuke smirks secretly; hiding it away from Sakura and especially Naruto. That blonde is as simple-minded as always, despite what great deeds he's done. That's what makes the start of a new life a good one. Things are starting to return to how they used to.

But then all of a sudden, Sasuke senses something coming right towards them. Something with the intent to kill and destroy.

As quickly as he could with Naruto practically already by his side, Sasuke leaps back, pushing Naruto with him, just in time to avoid a supersonic attack that's big and creates a huge blast in the ground when it hit. Sakura had to raise her arms up in order to protect herself from the sudden flying of dust and dirt as Naruto and Sasuke come flying out of the dust cloud to her side. The blonde stumbles for a bit, since he wasn't expecting any of that, but holding onto the raven head's shoulder to steady himself, he looks over Sasuke's shoulder in confusion and shock of what and why that happened. The Uchiha hasn't activated his Sharingan yet but he's about to once he sees whoever created that dust cloud and if that guy will attack them again. The attack was fast and instant. Sasuke didn't have time to see the face of their attacker or any detailed characteristics. He only saw that it was huge and he saw orange.

Orange hair…

That and a black and red cloak.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto asks. Sasuke has a theory but he doesn't reply. Right now, he has his hand on the hilt of his sword just in case and Sakura goes into battle mode for whoever just attacked them – and so soon at that.

But what comes flying out of the cloud was not who Sasuke was expecting. Instead, he sees white hair and a giant thick sword coming right for them when attacker two comes out. Or at Naruto to be exact. When the Uchiha sees him, he sees the same black and red coat the one with the orange hair had on. Maybe he really shouldn't but he's startled for not only having his theory be confirmed of who's attacking but because the cloak they're wearing is an Akatsuki cloak.

"Hey! Back off!" Suigetsu yells, swinging his sword down from above his head. Where he's aiming that sword is at Naruto. He's going to cut the blonde in half!

Quickly getting over his little shock, Sasuke reaches for the hole in the sword and uses his own strength to stop that blade from coming down. It just barely touches a strand of hair on Naruto's head and Zabuza's apprentice turns to look at his Team Hebi leader confused and startled for the Uchiha to stop him like that. Sasuke shows him no compassion or appreciation for what Suigetsu could have easily and nearly done. But now that the teenager is distracted, that gives Sakura just enough time to get a fist ready for this guy.

"_Shunnaro_!"

By the time Suigetsu turns to look at who's screaming out like some macho-wrestler, his face is exploded into water when she punched him and while Sakura lets that startling fact sink into her brain, she starts falling forward from the force of her hit. When she's low just enough, Sasuke raises the sword up higher so he could bend Naruto down without hitting the sharp end and he ducks as well as he spins the blade around once before forcing it back to where there is now a huge crater visible for them all to see after the dust has cleared. Pushing the sword back causes the rest of Suigetsu's body to go as well and Juugo is right there to stop the water-boy from flying too far away.

"Suigetsu, are you alright?" he asks, concerned. As Team 7 straightens up in their stance, Sasuke is actually surprised that after the earlier attack, he thought Juugo was going on a wild rampage. Right now, he appears calm and concerned for his comrade instead of some unlucky victim to eliminate

As Suigetsu's head starts to form back, there is a pissed off look on his face that shows off his pointy teeth and he _che_ before he says, "After I give Sasuke a good beating, I'll feel a whole lot better."

At this time, Naruto and Sakura take the moment to get a good look of the appearances of these two new strangers as their long-lost, recently-restored comrade eyes his old team with his usual blank face that he always wore when he was with them. Besides the Akatsuki cloak, there is one other thing he's wondering about.

"You two dumbasses! Are you trying to kill Sasuke too?"

Never mind, she's here.

Coming out into view from the trees is Karin and she looks the same as always – her usual, sometimes fake, tough personality. Naruto and Sakura take in her appearance as well and try to categorize in their heads about these three new enemies. They've never saw them before but they knew Sasuke. That has to mean he met them sometime before he decided to kill Itachi on his own or during his time with Orochimaru. The second option seems like the most likely one. But they're wearing Akatsuki cloaks…

Getting enough of all of this, considering that he was pushed back after being insulted and he was nearly cut in half as well, Naruto yells out to them, "You, who are you! What business do you have in this village?"

If they're with Akatsuki then that answer should be obvious. But Sasuke is curious about the same thing as well. Are they here for Naruto when Konoha is already in ruins? It'll be perfect timing since they're at their lowest defense right now. But they tried to kill Naruto. If you're trying to capture someone, don't smash them or cut them down first; especially when you need them alive.

Juugo responds to the Kyuubi Jinchuriki, "All we want is Sasuke, nothing more."

Naruto and Sakura gasp at that news and Sasuke narrows his eyes at them. So they sent his old, temporary team to get him back this time? Man, Akatsuki doesn't rest until they get what they want, do they?

"Oi, Sasuke!" Karin calls with that deep, tough rough voice of hers. "Get yur head out of the clouds and come with us! Play time with these losers is over!"

Neither Naruto nor Sakura took that kindly. As Naruto places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, Sakura stretches her hand towards Sasuke's and entwines their fingers together. The Uchiha paid them a moment glance each when they did that. They're telling him to stay and that he's not going anywhere. When Karin sees Sakura holding hands with her Sasuke, was she upset? Of course not. She's ready to kill Sakura by butchering her alive and then cooking her innards into pies so she could give away to the rich and needy. More than anything, she really wants to charge at the pink hair, big forehead and knock her teeth out. But that would only result in her yelling and screaming in the arms of the big man besides her. Gotta keep her cool, gotta keep her cool. But damn is it hard because Suigetsu and Juugo can feel her anger and jealousy radiating out through the pores of her skin like an angry volcano full of hot molted lava just ready to explode and burn everything in its path. Sasuke could see it too.

Then Juugo adds, "Sasuke, we need to get you out of this village immediately. You are not safe here."

Naruto yells, "Not safe? What the hell are you talking about?"

'_Naruto, shut it,'_ is what Sasuke wants to say to him but for right now, Team Hebi has his full attention.

Karin snaps, "Oh like you don't know! How dare you keep Sasuke here! Are you trying to destroy this man who only acts on the decisions your village made?"

What is she talking about?

Then Suigetsu says his piece as he looks only and directly at the teenager who saved him from Orochimaru's cell, "Sasuke, you know I'm not one to get personal. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out why exactly I'm here saving your ass. But I do know one thing. If they don't let you go, I will chop them down like the pieces of meat they are!"

Now Naruto is really starting to get irritated with this bunch, Suigetsu mostly, but before he gets the chance to say something back to him, Sasuke beats him to it. "I'm not going back, Suigetsu." Everyone is stunned by his words. It wasn't just Team Hebi but Team 7 as well. Naruto and Sakura may help declare that they're not going to let their Uchiha comrade go back into the darkness but to actually hear him say the words, it truly is something to behold. Now that he has everyone's attentions, Sasuke says more firmly, "I am not a prisoner here. I'm here in this village of my own will." Besides his words, there is another surprising thing for Team Hebi. Looking at their leader, they can all see it; the difference in his face now compared to how it was the last time they saw him. His face is kinder, lighter, and a greater purpose shining in his eyes than when he decided to kill Itachi. "Suigetsu, Karin, Juugo, I recruited you three to join me to kill a man and now that he's dead, Team Hebi no longer has a purpose to exist. However, I am offering this. You three have been loyal to my ambition from the start and you three have great skills that can be essential here. This is my offer. Stay in this village with me."

His lighter expression, without a doubt, can now warm the ice-cold, merciless hearts of those he used to touch with the strong-intent-to-kill look he used to have. It nearly made Team Hebi want to forget their mission to bring Sasuke back and follow him no matter what his decisions are. He was the one who gave them freedom after all. However, they know the truth and now it's their turn to give him the freedom he so rightfully deserves.

Juugo responds, "We can't stay here, Sasuke, and neither should you. We know the truth of what really happened to your clan."

That…was unexpected, not only to Sasuke but to the rest of Team 7 as well. What truth?

Karin, letting her tough façade slip a bit, yells, "Please, Sasuke! We're begging you here! Itachi, the man you killed, he wasn't the heartless murderer you thought he was. He really did care about you!"

To say they were all shocked would be the biggest understatement of a lifetime. Especially for Sasuke. What…_exactly_…are they trying to say to him?

But before anyone could say anything about it, both Sasuke and Naruto sense something else already here. Team Hebi sense it too after them but they notice too late.

A knife is suddenly at Juugo's throat and behind him is Kakashi, with his Sharingan eye yet to be revealed but his only other eye glaring promises of torture and death to those who threaten his comrades. "Stay away from my students."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura calls, being the only one, when she sees him. Karin and Suigetsu tense when they see their orange-head comrade in trouble, but they step back when they see something else. Recognizing it the moment he sees it, Sasuke knows why those two stepped back.

Juugo starts chuckling. "You think you can threaten _me_?" When he turns his head to face the masked copy-cat ninja, his eyes are already wide and crazed with his curse marks moving across his skin before stopping halfway. His arm has morphed into his weapon and he swiftly turns around to hit Kakashi. "Not unless I kill you first!" The silver-haired ninja is able to move away fast enough right when Juugo's 'fist' was about to hit him. It instead hits a tree and instantly and easily crushes it from his power.

Were Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura startled by Juugo's sudden mood change? Of course they were, but that didn't stop anything for a moment of shocked recognition.

Right after Juugo destroyed the tree, wood sprouts from the roots and Yamato isn't too far away; kneeled to the ground and his hands on the grass. His controlled wood quickly wraps around Juugo's body, easily capturing him. Not just going to stand by, Suigetsu rushes to his teammate and cuts the wood up with his sword. This is probably going to be the only time he is ever going to unleash Juugo when he is like this. Yamato curses under his breath when Suigetsu cut up his wood, but Sai is in the branches of the trees not too far away, swiftly drawing on his scrolls.

"Ninja Art: Super Beasts Scroll."

His beast come alive from the paper and dozens of demon looking dogs sprout out and head straight for Team Hebi. Noticing them, Suigetsu takes the lead as he spins and spins his sword like a turn-wheel that instantly cuts up most of the dogs that decide to attack him and Juugo. The others go after Karin. When she sees the dogs coming for her, she didn't just stand there and scream as they spring at her or something. When the first dog pounces, she upper cuts it right in the chin and it explodes into ink. When the next one comes, she kicks it right in the side.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" she yells, right as she hit the next and last dog that attacks her with her heel right in the chin. But it wasn't the last dog that attacked her. When that dog explodes into ink, the absolute last one takes that as its moment of surprise to pounce on her. With her leg up, Karin's surprised to see the dog sudden appearance but did she freeze up like a deer caught in the headlights? Not in the least. She had worst times when serving under Orochimaru. She quickly brings her leg down hard and she smashes her heel against the top of the dog's head. Seriously have to try a lot better than that.

And he did. Before she could sense it in time, an ink dog leaps up from behind and bites her right on the shoulder – pushing her down to the ground and causing her to scream as she falls. Suigetsu, Juugo, and Sasuke look at her in their surprise of hearing her scream and they see the dog pulling and yanking at her shoulder as if she were some kind of chew toy. She grits her teeth from the pain and blood splatters on the ground as the dog continues to pull and yank.

"Get your filthy teeth off of me!" she cries, retracting her fist back for the punch. But this dog is smart. It lets go of her right when she was about to hit it and it backs away far enough to charge at her and then pounce on her again.

Suigetsu and Juugo couldn't just stand there anymore. They turn towards her to help her but huge blocks of wood come shooting out of the ground again and block their path. Very similar to the cage that was used to try and capture Sasuke when Team 7 tried to get him back the first time at Orochimaru's hideout. Either one of them would have to cut themselves out or crush their way out to get out but either way won't help them reach Karin in time to stop that dog from attacking her.

Only one thing did.

Right when Karin was going to become ink dog-food, she covers her eyes with her one good arm to protect herself. But what she missed is someone reaching her side in lightning fast speed and saving her before the ink dog attacked. She lowers her arm when she hears the splatter of ink on the ground and feel it splatter on her arm. What she sees before her surprises her. When Suigetsu and Juugo free themselves of their wooden caget, by both slicing and crushing their way free, they also become stunned to see Sasuke sheathing his sword, the dog gone, and ink splatters all over the ground around him. They weren't the only ones shocked by the Uchiha's actions, either. All of Team 7 are caught off guard by his actions as well.

Sasuke just saved a member Akatsuki!

Having a hard time believing it and fearing the worst, Naruto mumbles, "Sasuke…What are you…?" But the Sharingan user doesn't say anything to correct or confirm the blonde's incomplete words. Sasuke just looks at him with firm eyes since he spoke.

Believing their reason as to why Sasuke saved Karin and destroyed the ink dog, Juugo rushes to Karin's side, his mood now apparently calm, and Suigetsu yells to his leader, "Come on, Sasuke! Let's go!"

Turning his attention to the white hair swordsmen, Sasuke tells him again, "I'm not going back, Suigetsu." The Water-boy didn't expect to hear that, and neither did the others are they're now staring at him with wonder and confusion to what the Uchiha is planning. "Just take Karin and go!"

Juugo tries to help Karin up with her good arm on his shoulders and his hand on her waist, but she winces from the pain shooting through her from her now useless arm. It looks pretty bad actually. The bite marks look deep and blood is just oozing out of her wounds like a half-way turned faucet. It would probably be better if Sakura would heal it before they leave but it's not likely that they're just going to sit there idly as she heals the woman who used her snappy mouth to insult them and their village and who became greatly jealous at the sight of Sakura holding Sasuke's hand. It'll be better she gets help elsewhere and for them to leave now! After she winced, that's what snaps Suigetsu from his trance and he takes a double look between her and Sasuke before approaching the annoying red-head that's always on his case about everything. After one look at her arm, he says to her, "Damn bitch, getting yourself hurt like this."

She snaps back, "Oh shut it, ass wipe." Cheery couple, aren't they?

Suigetsu turns his attention back to Uchiha, who obviously has made it clear that he's not going with them today but like that's going to stop them. "We will come back, Sasuke. One way or another, we have a mission to complete."

Juugo adds, "We swear that we are not going to leave you here to be used again." Then with that, Suigetsu makes a few hand signs before water shoots out of the ground around the three of them like a water wall and when the water drops down, Team Hebi is gone.

The Akatsuki has left, again.

With them gone and the danger clear as well, Kakashi takes that chance to say, "Sasuke, if anyone but us saw what you just did, you will be suspected of treachery for aiding the enemy," almost like he's lecturing the hero of Konoha as if he were a child again.

Sasuke turns his attention to his Team 7 sensei and tells him back, "I know them. Akatsuki or not, I brought them into the mess they're now in. I will take responsibility for them."

'_Sasuke-kun…'_ Sakura telepathically calls, her thoughts full of worry and concern for her childhood crush. Sasuke is noble. No matter what side they're on or the society circumstances, he won't leave his comrades behind. It eases her soul to know this but it still worries her.

Naruto feels the same way too and rethinking about Team Hebi's actions just now and the meaning behind them, he understands. "I can't forgive Akatsuki for what they've done to this village or Gaara. But I don't think those three were bad people. They just wanted to save their comrade from danger, whatever the heck that means! What the hell were they walking about Konoha not being safe? I at least have some brains to know they're not talking about the village's defenses."

"Surprised you believe you have brains at all," Sai comments, but this is so not the time for comments like that!

As Naruto is prepared to pulverize Sai right now, Sasuke speaks up again saying, "They will come back and when they do, I will ask."

"And if they ask you to leave with them before they tell you?" Kakashi asks him, now sounding like he's testing the Uchiha's resolve in this risky decision he's making here.

"I won't leave this village. I will get them to talk."

"And then what?" Yamato asks this time.

"I will try to convince them again to leave Akatsuki and stay here. When Lady Hokage wakes up, I will ask her to let them stay here. She was able to help me restart my life in this village, I'm sure she can think of something for them."

"Lady Tsunade is not the Hokage anymore."

All attention is turned to Sai when he said that. Sasuke's composed and sure expression is now taken back when he heard the ANBU Foundation's words.

"What?" Naruto asks, no surprise for him to be the one to voice out immediately what everyone else is thinking.

Sai is not much for emotions, but even he looks a bit uneasy to tell them all this dreadful news that he was told only several minutes before this. "I was just told today. She has been dismissed as Hokage since yesterday. Danzo is now the Hokage."

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><p><strong>You guys have to admit that was coming right? Besides the Akatsuki not going to leave Sasuke alone, he has more problems now that Danzo, the man who wanted him dead in the first place, is now Hokage. But yet again, he can't do much since Sasuke is a hero of Konoha. So he can't touch him. Unless… Nah, I'll let you guys in about it later.<strong>

**But how was it? Bad? Good? A little iffy? Let me know! Till next time and Happy New Years!**

**My New Year's Resolution, finish a story.**


	14. He Knows Something

**A/N: Oh my god, done! Finally! I am so sorry that I haven't updated in a while but I am seriously looking for some Valentine Day ideas for ItaSasu. One of my friends dared me to write a yuri one-shot and I don't know if I want to turn Itachi and Sasuke into females and have them be the yuri couple or just pick one of the Naruto characters for the job. My heart and writing belongs to ItaSasu so I'm having a hard time here because I want to please you but I gotta do the dare. Stupid bet….**

**Anyway! I have one more news. I don't think I did this chapter justice on some parts but at least half of this chapter, I want to disinfect myself. You will soon see why and I really hope that this is the last one I'm writing so much of it! I thought of this idea a long time ago before I had the feelings I have now so please bear with me and lend me your support.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, I would rewrite it similar to this but the ending pairing being ItaSasu, of course. But –sigh- there are some dreams in this world that just can't be granted. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and your gracious patience. I am trying to do better but I am suffering senioridious right now so for those who know where I'm coming from, yeah. Tell me what you guys think about my ItaSasu yuri idea if you think I should do that for Valentine's Day or just pick another movie and do another parody scene like I did last year. I'm gonna need suggestions on that one too. Thank you and enjoy! Please help me!**

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><p>Ch. 13: He Knows Something<p>

To say Sasuke was angry would be too cute to say. To say that he's ready to kill someone due to every bit of hatred and anger pouring out of him like he's the demon of hell, would be the understatement of the century! He is more than just pissed off. There's probably not even a word to describe what Sasuke's feeling right now. All the villagers know is as Sasuke is practically stomping his way to Danzo's tent, or a.k.a. the Sixth Hokage's tent, they all backed away in fear that they will feel the full wrath of the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan.

Sasuke had just arrive at Danzo's tent when before he could raise his hand to push aside the cloth to enter, two tantous appear with their sharp edges threatening his neck from behind and in front. Sasuke does not react show any emotional reaction to the threat. All he says to them is, "The move you two made is incorrect."

Rather the two ANBU members are insulted by Sasuke's comment or not, it's hard to tell with their masks hiding away their faces. But they know he's right. With his speed, Sasuke could easily block their attacks and then finish them before they could even think about slicing his head off.

"Do not move a muscle, Uchiha Sasuke." Still one of them threatens him as if believing they can still take the Uchiha out first. Foolish ANBU.

Eyeing the one who spoke first, Sasuke commands, "Let me pass. I do not have the patience for you."

The second ANBU warns, "If you mean any harm to the Hokage-"

"Danzo is not an official Hokage yet until after the Jounin voted!" the Uchiha snaps, still acting calm and cool when he interrupted him. But inside, he is ready to burst. They can all see it. Even though his Sharingan is not activated, they don't need to see it to already know one wrong move against this teenager would mean certain death. "If you worry about his well being until then, don't be. I only came to ask him a few questions."

"Questions about what?"

He does not answer to that.

"Answer us, Uchiha!"

He's done talking to these fools. He wishes to speak with Danzo and he wishes to speak with him, NOW!

As if testing them, he ask, "Will you kill me if I don't? How will that reflect on your reputation?"

After what happened with his Team Hebi, besides the village council Sasuke knows that Danzo is one of the only political leaders that were still in office when the Uchiha Massacre occurred. He has to know something to clear up the confusion clouding everyone's minds. Though when he remembers that it was _this _Danzo who ordered his execution when he was with Orochimaru, there isn't a doubt that what Team Hebi was leading on might actually be true and that angered him. When he decided he was going to speak with Danzo, Kakashi and Yamato both tried to warn and stop him but it wasn't like he was going to approach him unprepared. They may think that he's acting exactly the same way he did thirteen years ago when he heard Itachi was after Naruto, but it's not the same now. He didn't kill Itachi by being unprepared and he's not going to talk to Danzo and leave empty handed by being unprepared either. He knows the qualifications to becoming an official Hokage and he knows that the way things are, if they lay a hand on him it will reflect on Danzo as Hokage and it will affect the Jounin's votes. Sasuke is one of the Hero's of Konoha now. He is untouchable, and he will use that fact to his advantage. Naruto wanted to accompany Sasuke as well but that was when Kakashi really put his foot down. Because he is the Kyuubi no Jichuriki and if the both of them get thrown in jail if they make the wrong move, then Naruto imprisoned will be exactly what Danzo wants. Lesser the consequences if Sasuke gets thrown in jail alone rather than Naruto joining him. The Uchiha survivor even agreed to that. Also, Sasuke wanted to talk to Danzo alone. Because if he's wants answers about Uchiha clan, it's really no one else's business unless they're also an Uchiha.

From inside the tent, the three shinobis hear, "Let him pass."

"Danzo-sama!" ANBU number one exclaims when he heard that order.

But on his command, Sasuke uses his speed to swiftly push the two tantous back by grabbing both of the ANBU's wrists. Both of them look at the Uchiha, probably caught off guard under that mask because how Sasuke grips both wrists, all he needs to do is squeeze with just enough force to completely dislocate their wrists.

"You heard him, move." The kid is dead serious, and if they didn't knew before, they know now they don't stand a chance against a pupil of Orochimaru and heir to the Uchiha bloodline.

Sasuke releases their wrists and they stepped back, just like the good little Hokage dogs they are. Now that he's in the clear, Sasuke pushes aside the cloth door of the tent and sees Danzo, calmly and casually sitting on his bench with his arm prompted on a pillow, piles of books stacked up besides his bench, and lanterns hanging just above him. When the Uchiha sees the bandaged man sitting there looking so relaxed when the teenager is just filled with exploding emotions like an active time-bomb, it irritates him all the more.

"What is it you wish to know, Uchiha Sasuke?"

But Sasuke needs to keep a cool head in this. He can Chidori a forest after he stays focused and stays smart about this meeting. He just needs to remember his training with Orochimaru. Never let your enemy have the opportunity to know what you're really feeling. They will use it to their advantage and rather it's with weapons or words, they will find a way to use it against you.

Face and eyes blank out of any emotion, and with a monotone voice of nothing but dead seriousness, Sasuke replies, "I want you to tell me everything you know about the Uchiha Massacre."

What came after his words is an extremely tensed and deadly silence. If the feeling of the room could be a fog, someone could cut right through it with a knife. No doubt those outsides, especially those guards, can feel the tension and caution spilling out through the small creeks and openings of the tent. Danzo's calm and authority aura that he had before disappears in an instant. It became an extreme round of a staring contest. Sasuke looks at the Hokage dead in the eyes, no specs at all in his eyes that he's going to back down unless he gets what he wants, and in Danzo's eyes, he looks unwilling to just give it to him on silver platter.

"The knowledge I possess is the same as everyone else's. What on earth could possible make you believe I know would anything else?"

"You've been involved in politics before my father attended the academy, and Uchiha Itachi was a member of the ANBU Black ops. Surely you've kept a close eye on him, even if he wasn't a part of the Root ANBU." Danzo's grip on his cane tightens when he heard that. Root ANBU is meant to be a secret from the rest of the village. It is the ANBU he has secretly run even after it was supposed to have been disbanded. Did Sai tell Sasuke about it? No, it's impossible. The tattoo on his tongue would prevent him from uttering a single word about it. Did Orochimaru tell him then? "Let me ask you again, what do you know about the Uchiha Massacre that no one else already knows?"

No matter. If Orochimaru told the boy everything he knows about him, it would do him no good. Orochimaru only knows the basic facts about him. He doesn't have any descriptive details that Sasuke could use against him. Danzo's posture relaxes when he realizes this himself. There is nothing for him to worry about. He only needs to play his cards right.

But such a disappointment. He would think the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan would approach him a bit more prepared than this.

"You poor, poor soul. Even now when you have everything you could possibly desire, you still dwell on the past." Sasuke did not take kindly to that. Instantly, to keep his emotions under control, he balls his fist at his side and grits his teeth tightly clench together; forcing him to just stand there and not say a thing as he listens while feeling his own inner monster roaring and writhing violently inside with each syllable this bandage man spits out. "Forget about it and move on with your _new_ life Princess Tsunade has given you."

Not at all did that sound like a command that was meant to be advice to live a bright and promising future. It sounded like a threat and Sasuke does not take kindly to threats.

"The funny thing about the past, Danzo, is it always follows you no matter how fast or far you run away from it. It always comes back to haunt you. If you wish for me to leave and to forget my past, then answer my question so that I may be rid of it."

If a shinobi was in the room with them right now, he would fear for his life to the highest maximum. He would be quivering and cowering because the tension between the Uchiha and the Hokage is enough to make even a normal man cry like a frightened child. Danzo's one eye, which usually always closed and has remained since Sasuke has been here, is open and it narrows dangerously at the Sharingan heir. How dare this pup walk into this room and act as if he can threaten _him_ and expect Danzo to obey like some shameless coward who would give up valuable information in exchange for his life. Oh how the boy doesn't know a thing about him.

"Persistent wretch, aren't you? But yet again, that's the problem with all of you Uchihas. You're so stubborn and headstrong when it comes to what you want." When he said 'Uchihas' this time, it sounded like he was spitting out the word like it was filth in his mouth and his voice went deeper into irritation and distaste. "Even if I did know something about it, I wouldn't tell you no matter what you do to me. It will do you no good when there is nothing for you in the past. Your brother was cruel and ruthless since the day he was born and he remained so until the day he died. Shouldn't you know that?"

He should but hearing this man talk about Itachi like that, it did nothing to calm the Uchiha's temper. Sasuke fought with Itachi and he saw how bent his brother was about killing him and taking his eyes. But it was still that last moment of his life that really haunts victor. What happened to Sasuke in his self-conscious was nothing more than **his own **self-conscious. Something he most likely created from the deep goodness of his heart that wanted to break free of his darkness. It was an epiphany that finally shined light into his cold miserable soul. It wasn't like Itachi was really the kind compassionate brother he used to be and his soul spiritually made contact with him to free him from these heavy chains. It wouldn't sound like that murderer at all. And yet Danzo's words made Sasuke want to punch and scream at the top of his lungs in denial that Itachi, the man he fought and killed, was not cruel and ruthless at his last moments. But if he does that, then most likely Danzo will take advantage of that, question Sasuke's unsupported theory, and then anger the boy even more with his obvious discriminating comments.

"Now leave this tent, or I will be forced to call my ninjas to escort you out."

Danzo is not going to budge and even if Sasuke stays true to the stubbornness inherited from his clan, it would only make the man more shut off from him even more. He came here to get full information about what Team Hebi was talking about and he failed. Only a few small questions were answered. None of the big ones.

But this isn't over and the Uchiha boy gives Danzo one last look to tell him that before turning around to the exit and walk out of that tent more furious and deadly than when he was walking towards this tent. Inside, Danzo still stares with his one good, open eye at the entrance of his tent and he rubs the handle of his cane in thought. It is official in his mind. That boy can pose as a problem for him in the future.

* * *

><p>'<em>Damn that shit to the fuckin depths of hell!'<em>

As Sasuke is marching through the village, his mood is worst than when he was making his way to Danzo's tent. It's actually so bad that when his aura is sensed by everyone he passes, not even the children who look up and respect him are too afraid to approach him. Heck! Even the female population who got their past infatuations started up again after he saved their village didn't look at him with hearts in their eyes anymore. The Uchiha is fuming in his head. Besides that one thought above, he's starting to say all kinds of colorful words as if someone just gave him a seven page list of them all and he has to try to save it all in one breathe. Then repeat the whole process again ten more times.

He's in so much rage right now that he doesn't realize that he passed right through where the medical tents are. Sakura was inside working when she felt this dark menacing aura coming from outside. She went outside, expecting an enemy, but instead she sees Sasuke stomping away to who knows where. With worry, she wonders, _'Did something…happen?'_

Oh you think!

Turning back into the tent to tell a passing nurse that she's going to be out for a bit, Sakura goes out to follow him. Many would think that she's probably crazy to try and approach him and ask what's wrong when he's like this. But rather they're dating or not, she still cares for him and if something is troubling him, she wants to help.

"Sasuke-kun!" she calls. He still keeps walking, rather he heard her or not. "Hey, Sasuke-kun!" Reaching him, she grasps his arm and he stops. In truth, he heard her. He just didn't want to talk to her when she's like this. Since he stopped and he closed his eyes to try and breathe, Sakura asks him, "Sasuke-kun, what happened? Did Danzo tell you anything?"

"That old man didn't tell me squat!" he snaps with his dangerously low soft voice. Now Sakura is starting to be afraid of him. If she wants to know so much, then fine. He'll vent to her since she wants it so bad. "But he knows something. I don't fucking care if he's the hokage. If he doesn't tell me what I want to know-"

"Sasuke-kun, please!" the worried pink-hair girl pleads him. Sliding her hands to his, she tries to give it a comforting squeeze as she tells him, "I know you're upset but you can't harm him. Just as he can't touch you, you can't touch him."

Sasuke isn't happy to hear that in the least. "I am the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan. I deserve to know what happened to them if what I know isn't what happened to them!" He full on snapped at her. Raised voice, rejecting angry eyes, and everything. His words actually stung the kunoichi because it sounded the same as she should back off and leave him alone. Her hand slips away from Sasuke's and only then does he realize the damage his words just caused.

"That's right," she says to him, her voice sounding meek and fragile and her eyes reverted to the ground. Sasuke's eyes slightly widen in realization. "If something happened to my parents and something was hidden from me, I deserve to know what it was more than anyone. I'm sorry for being insensitive."

Her insensitive? Not this time. He's the one being insensitive. Sakura's just worried about him since obviously confronting Danzo did not go so well and he's taking out his frustrations on her. She doesn't deserve it. Well she always said for Sasuke to be his true self. One of those qualities is being a jerk, but not like this.

"Sakura, I…" He tries to find the words but he can't. He needs to apologize but when was the last time he actually apologized to someone face to face? Really? "You don't need to apologize. I do. I'm…I'm sorry. I know you're only worried and I thank you for your concern." A bit iffy, but at least it has the large-forehead girl's desire to look at him in the face again. She still looks a bit hurt and apologetic but Sasuke just lets out a sigh and reaches for her hand this time. "Truly."

Him holding her hand of his own accord and saying those words with pure sincerity and compassion in his eyes, it all just instantly melts away Sakura's anxiety and despair. Her heart is pounding again and his hand just feels so warm to the touch. So strong and can do some of the greatest terrifying things Sakura can only imagine. Such a warm hand…

Feeling peace, Sakura returns the grip and smiles. "I guess…I'm just afraid that you would leave this village again," she confesses. Bringing the hand to her face, she presses the fingers against her cheek lovingly and then says to him, "Please promise me something, Sasuke-kun. Promise me that whatever those people were talking about, you won't make the decision on your own on what to do. You'll talk with us first and we'll work something. Alright?"

Because more than anything, she doesn't want him to leave her ever again. She won't be able to handle the separation and she knows Naruto wouldn't be able to either.

Sasuke knows this and that's why he gives her the softest look he can possible manage at this point and tells her, "Alright."

Hearing those words bring a brighter and a more relieved smile on Sakura's face. Seeing that beautiful smile, it actually made Sasuke's earlier anger die down a bit. It's s still there but at least now it's not a roaring burning forest fire. It reduced to just a spark, waiting to start again but maybe another time. For now, enjoy this peace for a little bit longer because he knows that his team will come back. They swore they would and if they, maybe then he can get the answers he wants without leaving Konoha.

After a moment of sweet bliss, Sakura tells him, "Come on. We got patients to heal." With their fingers still entwined, Sakura turns around and starts leading him back to the medical tent. He follows her.

However when Sakura was chasing Sasuke, they went quite a few ways. They're actually back in the carpenter work area and as they're walking through, Sasuke notices something at the corner of his eyes. He sees Naruto and Hinata talking, alone, possibly hiding from everyone else.

The Uchiha didn't say anything. He only stopped walking and when Sakura notices, she turns towards him to ask what's wrong but seeing him looking at something, she follows his gaze and sees the same thing he's seeing. Even Naruto grinning like the moron he is and rubbing the back of his head while Hinata waits patiently to what he has to say to her. Probably what's so important that they have to hide from everyone. Instantly, Sakura knows what this is.

First she gasps before whispering, "Don't tell me he's…"

Sasuke still doesn't say anything. Both of them just watch, not being close enough for hearing range, but all of a sudden Hinata's eyes grow incredibly wide, her cheeks are the color of roses and Naruto has a slight similar shade on his own cheeks. Then like tea pot, Hinata's entire face becomes the same color red as Sasuke's Sharingan and steam escapes right out of her. It didn't take too long till Hinata loses balance and starts falling backwards. It kind of took a while before Naruto realizes that the Hyuuga heir just fainted and already lying on the ground, Naruto calls for her.

"Ah! Hinata!"

Naruto just asked Hinata out. Finally.

* * *

><p><strong>I told you guys I wanna disinfect myself. That was just…-skin crawls- Oh well. At least Naruto and Hinata are now dating so I guess not all things are lost. But what do you guys think? You think Sasuke will keep his promise to Sakura once he hears the truth about his brother? Give me your opinion on that!<strong>

**But how was the chapter? Bad? Good? As injustice to the story as I thought? Let me know. Till next time!**


	15. The Possibilities May Be Truth

**A/N: Hey guys. I know, it's been forever since I updated this story but you know something, Kishimoto is getting on my good side and I wrote this story because he was getting on my bad side and I was pulling my hair out with Sasuke being evil and Itachi deciding not to see Sasuke because he failed when obviously…-stops myself before I vent- Ugh! I wanted to slap him for weeks!**

**Anyway, I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. For now, I humbly give those rights to Kishimoto with no desire to take them away because Itachi and Sasuke are fighting Kabuto together, HA! But I will admit that I would want to own that story so Sasuke and Itachi can end up together but –shrugs-. That's just my own thing. I'm sorry again for not updating for so long and I hope you enjoy this story. If not. Tell me. I wanted to write more but I didn't know how to write it and I think I've been keeping this story from you guys long enough. Thank you for all of your reviews and patience! Now please enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Ch. 14: The Possibilities May Be Truth<p>

It's been three days since Team Hebi last encountered Sasuke and it's been three days since Sasuke confronted Danzo in case he was hiding anything about the Uchiha massacre. Maybe Danzo really wasn't hiding anything. Was Sasuke's rage just making him think that he did, considering how that old man responded to his question? Did Sasuke's team lie to him? Not possible. Even though they're with the Akatsuki, Team Hebi looked really sincere about their words and looked pretty desperate to get him out of the village. It could be the art of deception they were trying to use on him but Sasuke is a lot sharper than that. He could tell right away when someone is trying to trick him, especially those three. They weren't faking it. They were telling the truth and Danzo was certainly hiding something. That's the thought that's been going through the young Uchiha's mind since these three days.

In the mean time, Sasuke continued to help in the medical unit. Still only doing the simple things but as the days go by, the number of patients is starting to become less and less. It got to the point when he even noticed he's not needed anymore. They have enough professional healers to work but Sakura still insisted he continues to work with them. If she's really so worried about Sasuke sneaking off to meet up with Team Hebi, then why not let him work in the construction area or something with Naruto or Kakashi to keep an eye on him?

Speaking of keeping an eye on, since Sasuke talked to Danzo there happened to have been an increase of people spying on the Uchiha. Not that anyone has been watching him ever since the village was attacked. They were needed for more useful things than babysitting. Plus, they probably thought Kakashi would be good enough since Team 7 is still living in Sasuke's house. Now, Sasuke has at least three or five Root Ninja following him everywhere he goes. They keep their distance and successfully became super unnoticed by them. However, just because the others didn't notice them, Sasuke most certainly did as well as Sai – him probably recognizing the art of invisibility since he is still technically one of Danzo's pets. Though they are good, Sasuke has to give him that credit. Sometimes, he just barely misses them trailing him from time to time but it hardly happens.

Then on the evening of the third day at the house while everyone is gathered for dinner, the others are having a good time, if 'good time' considers being loud with a lot of yelling, while Sasuke is thinking about his next move. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Two Root ANBU tonight, at least five hundred yards away. Not close enough for hearing range but just enough to sense the chakras in the building. They can sense Sasuke's in his new home with his teenage-hood team.

"You can sense them, can't you Sasuke?" Reopening his eyes, all of the screaming and yelling toned down when Sai asked him that. All eyes are on Sai, some confused and the others cautious, as the ninja painter says to the Uchiha, "They're only two of them tonight. It's better than the night before when there was six of them. But no matter the numbers, they're still watching you."

One thing Sasuke likes about Sai, he feels like he can relate to him in some way. Besides mostly being apathetic part, Sai is sharp and the two of them have sort of a mutual agreement between an original teammate and the replacement.

"Watching?" Naruto questions when he heard that. Turning to the Uchiha, as well as Sakura, he asks, "Are ninjas still watching you? What for? You're a hero, like me, and you've been with us every day. Everyone adores you again. What reason would they watch you like you're still under house arrest? If they want to waste their time, they should be helping the village rebuilt itself instead."

"Have you forgotten I approached Danzo the same day my team attacked us?" Sasuke asks him, his monotone voice sharp and direct to the point. He's being serious and all eyes are glued on to him as his onyx eyes wait for the blonde's response.

"But you were only asking a question if he knew anything. You're not trying to say that old bag of bones is being paranoid by such a tiny thing, are you?"

Sai says to him, "Careful, Naruto. That old bag of bones is Hokage now."

Turning to him, he replies, "He's not the Hokage in my eyes until after the vote. No, not even then. He tried to get Sasuke killed so there's no way I can ever look at him as Hokage."

Another point added to Sasuke's calculating mind. Speaking up before the others, he reminds, "Just because he didn't respond to my question correctly, doesn't mean he doesn't know anything different about the Uchiha clan that I don't know about. I left the village to Orochimaru's side and now that I'm here, as a hero as you call me, he's still suspicious of me in case I mean any harm to the village. My encounter with him did not lower that suspicion in the least. It only heightened it."

"Then go to the guy and say 'Sorry for the disrespect. I didn't mean for us to start off on the wrong foot so stop using your bodyguards to watch me and help out the village like how you're supposed to.' What's wrong with that?"

Is this guy truly an idiot? The same guy who defeated Pein? Things are not that easy!

Feeling frustration inside of him, Sasuke snaps, "What's wrong is that guy knows something about the Uchiha clan and he's refusing to tell me what it is. Also, this is the same guy who decided he wanted me dead – since you're the one who mentioned that little fact."

Also starting to get angry, Naruto tells him, "I don't like that guy either but if these ninjas really are spying on you on his command, then he needs to stop and make some real contribute to the village. Trust me. There are a lot more enjoyable things to do than watch you stare off into space all day."

Then like they both had the same idea at the same time, they try to stand up suddenly as if ready to brawl but Yamato stops Naruto from behind and both Kakashi and Sakura hold Sasuke back. Sai just watches in curiosity at how in sync these two really are to each other. It's like they share the same mind or something.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto, please," Sakura pleads them both.

Since their captains already stopped them, both teenage boys are pulled back into their seats as Kakashi says, "Fighting like you're gennin again isn't going to solve anything."

Sai thinks, _'Technically, they're still classified as gennin. Lady Tsunade is still in a coma and Lord Danzo didn't do anything about it either.'_ Not that he would at this point.

"Until after the Jounin vote, you two need to get used to the fact that he's going to be hovering above your necks so long as he's in control with Lady Tsunade no longer in his way," Yamato says, adding his piece.

Though Sasuke asks, "So the next time my team comes to get me, you're going to allow the ANBU to kill them the second they see the Akatsuki cloaks?"

No one said anything right away when he asks that. He's right. If the ANBU see Akatsuki, their first initiative is to capture one of them and kill the other; or in this case, kill the rest. If they attack and Team 7 doesn't, who knows what that'll look like in Danzo's eyes. It'll look like complete and utter betrayal against the village. Plus, he might use that as an excuse that Sasuke is in league with Akatsuki, has put the Konoha shinobi under his Sharingany control, and then lock him up. Him and Naruto both. With the way things are, you can't just have a conversation with Akatsuki without the need to attack. It might look like a total betrayal to all Five Nations if you think about it.

Sakura voices out, as soft as she can in case the ANBU are listening in, "If they come back, then what we need to do is find a way to either distract the ANBU so we can have a private conversation or try to arrange a meeting area."

Yamato says, "Distracting the ANBU would be tricky but I believe it is the better option. Even if we find a private meeting place, I doubt those three individuals will be willing to go into hiding with us to talk."

Sasuke shakes his head to all of this. "They're not going to talk. I know them. They save the talking till after they get the job done."

"Then what do we do?" Naruto asks. What to do indeed…

* * *

><p>On the dawn of the fourth day, Sasuke is not at his home. He was able to sneak out of his house without any one of his team knowing and he was able to sneak past the Root ANBU. As admirable as such a thing is to anyone in the village, it's almost kid's stuff to the Uchiha. It was something he learned from Orochimaru and he became so good at it in such a short amount of time that the deceased Sannin always needed the Uchiha at his side unless the teenager was resting. But those were the moments when Sasuke would sneak off to do what he needed to do – aka, train some more and look for compatible and worthy people to become a part of his four-man team.<p>

However Sasuke did leave one thing behind just in case. His only hope is his comrades find it after he's done here.

An hour before the sun rises, Sasuke stares up at the sky, staring far off into the distance. Then he closes his eyes and speaks out loud, "There's no one else but me, you three." Then he turns around and when he opens his eyes in this small clearing he found just outside of Konoha's walls, he still sees nothing but trees, grass, and the slight morning light peeking out from the darkness.

Then in a blink of an eye, Team Hebi appears before him looking as determined as when they left. Doing a search through, the other two look alright but Sasuke can see the bandages on Karin's shoulder. Remembering how she got that, Sasuke asks, "Karin, how's your arm?"

Hearing that slightly took the red head off, as well as the others. Did Sasuke actually sound sincere? They had never heard him talk like that before. Even before they became a team, Sasuke's not been one to simply care about things unless they benefit him in some way. For Karin who can sense his chakra, that was once so cool and so amazing with power that instantly captivated her, it's still like that only it feels lighter. Warmer. It feels nice.

Juugo, who doesn't even have Karin's ability, can see that as well. Is Sasuke like this because of the village? Because of his _friends_ in the village?

But it can't be. That village is using him! Team Hebi had to remind themselves of that over and over before one of them speaks again.

"It's been better," Karin replies, putting her opposite hand over her arm in reaction to Sasuke's question. Using her normal façade, she tells him firmly, "Sasuke, why do I have the feeling the reason why you're here on your own isn't because you decided to come back with us?"

Without a flicker of emotion on his face to betray what he's thinking or feeling, the Uchiha replies, "Because I'm not. If you really want me back, then I need an explanation to what you were talking about the other day. I don't just leave because you asked me to."

Damn Uchihas and their damn stubbornness, Suigetsu thinks as he glares slightly at his Team Leader. He's gritting his fists at his side in his irritation. Why doesn't the guy just come with them so they can leave already? In all honesty, he has better things to do with his time than just stand here all day trying to convince the stubborn mule to come with them. But there's another reason to why he's frustrated. He's frustrated because he cares. Pull out the champagne! Suigetsu actually cares about something besides his swords. Sasuke killed Orochimaru, freed him from his prison, and help him get Zabuza's sword. Suigetsu's usually not one for his appreciation for things, but Sasuke is different. That's why he wants to take him away from a village that will use him, just like how…

Seeing that there is no other way but just to be on the cautious side since he's always so careful, Juugo asks, "Sasuke, have you been followed?"

"No. I left without anyone knowing that I'm here. Not even my comrades in the village know that I'm gone." _'Yet.'_

Even though he said that, Team Hebi is still a little antsy. Juugo and Suigetsu give Karin the side-look each and really, they didn't have to tell her twice. Closing her eyes, she concentrates and senses if there is any other chakra within a fifty yard radius of where they are.

None.

There is no one else besides them. Only the usual animals waking up to start their day. Good.

"However," Sasuke decides to cut in after he saw the slight relieved look starting to appear on the red-head's face, "I have been under a close watch by our supposedly Sixth Hokage since I approached him if he had any knowledge of the Uchiha clan that I didn't know of. His men are probably looking for me as we speak, so I suggest telling me right now what you know and then leave before they come."

Hearing that surprises all and they all tense when he said that. One word passes through Suigetsu's head as he looks at the Uchiha now. _'Bastard!'_ Did the guy plan this or is he using that little fact to his advantage? He can never tell what the raven-head is thinking but right now, what he wants to know is why does he care for this guy and rather or not he's going to be used?

Panic wells up in Karin's chest when she heard those words instead of anger. "And leave you here to rot? Sasuke!" She takes one step closer after she yelled that. To hell with her tough façade right now. They can't fail this time! Not when he's this close to them.

Quickly, Juugo asks, "Sasuke, tell us. Who is the Sixth Hokage?"

The Uchiha observes all of their reactions. He can see the frustration growing in the Hozuki water-boy, he can see Karin's easily recognizable 'hidden' worry, and he can see the caution and desperate curiosity in Juugo. They're really serious about wanting him to get away from Konoha. But why?

"Shimura Danzo."

And when he said that, all of their expressions became incredibly tense and alert. Why did they react like that at the sound of that old man's name? Is the reason why they want him to get away is because of Danzo? He needs to know right now. He's close to the truth and breaking these guys to get it is a lot easier than breaking that old geezer.

Karin yells to him this time more desperately, "Then we absolutely cannot leave you here! You're not safe here with that man as the Hokage. You need to come with us now!"

"Tell me what you know!" Sasuke orders them. He's close. He's so close.

What is the truth about his brother?

"They used your brother to kill your clan!" Suigetsu finally screams, unable to take this anymore. When he said that, not only were Karin and Juugo shocked that he just burst like that, but Sasuke is looking at him with entrée wide eyes and his mind became completely blank. What…did he…just say…?

"Suigetsu!" Karin calls, as if about to scold him.

But the water boy snaps at her, "Oh shut it, Karin!" She flinched in surprise of his words and he turns back to Sasuke. "That is what we know! We have the details but we'll tell you if you come with us first!"

Go with them? How can Sasuke do that when thanks to Suigetsu's words he can hardly move? The shock of hearing those words…they're too much the Uchiha. They sound…almost too good to be true. For a while now, Sasuke's hatred for his brother has finally turned into that of mourning for him. Mourning for his loss and wondering and cursing why that man didn't just kill Sasuke that day to spare him all this misery. The possibility of his brother still being inside of that man even came to the Uchiha's mind but was instantly erased. There was no way that murderer, the one who truly killed Sasuke's brother, still had a speck of good left in his heart. And yet…

"_**Forgive me, Sasuke. This is the last time."**_

"_**The last time for us to talk like this. You need to go back. Your friends need you and you need to keep living. Because to me, your life, your happiness, are all that really matters."**_

Could it maybe…just maybe…Sasuke's brother was still 'alive' inside that murderer after all? But then what does Suigetsu really mean by they used him? Did he mean…the village? And IF that's true, a very big 'IF', how does that excuse all of Itachi's past actions?

Besides waiting for Sasuke's answer, Team Hebi also sees the reaction to the Hozuki's boy's words. Seeing the absolute shock stuck on his face as well as the thoughts passing through his mind – thoughts of possibility and thoughts of discovery but also thoughts of weak denial. Could Sasuke have had some hint that maybe he knew the Konoha village used his brother? Or could it, very slim chance; could he maybe have already thought of the possibility that his brother wasn't all he appeared to be?

But then, Karin senses something.

'_What the?'_ her mind exclaims, going on cautious mode. The reason why she's started by this presence she suddenly feels isn't because it's coming towards them. It's because its already here and it literally just popped out of nowhere. Looking towards the direction she can sense it, all she has to do is look past Sasuke and since she can't see anything, she uses her sensory skills to feel the chakra of this intruder and she 'sees' him preparing for an attack.

"Sasuke, behind you!" she screams. The other three are startled to hear her but they all look up past him and not even a second later, something comes shooting out. None of them hesitated, they jumped out of the way and want to know what was shot at them?

Water balloons.

'_The hell?'_ Karin and Suigetsu wonder when they see them explode on the ground they once stood. The question repeats again when nothing actually happened to the ground. They thought maybe it'll be acid or something if someone is trying to attack them with water balloons.

But nothing. Even Sasuke and Juugo are looking at them curiously to why they were attacked with plain water balloons.

The Uchiha looks towards the direction the balloons came from and with his Sharingan, he sees someone moving within the forest. Someone moving fast and only one person. Is someone just playing a prank on them? No, it's not a kid and from the feel of this chakra, there is definitely some ninja experience with this attacker. A lot of experience!

'_ANBU!'_ he concludes. _'Shit, they're here!'_

This must be one of those trained professionals who can even hide from his radar. Sasuke was a bit distracted just now but is this guy so good that he even hid from Karin's sharp eyes till now?

But there's something else too. Now that this ANBU's chakra is open for him to see, he can see what type of chakra he is and he's charging up for it now.

When Team Hebi landed on the ground away from their spot and they were prepared to fight this attack, but something explodes when they land on the ground.

_Pop, pop, pop, pop_

Looking down, all four of them stepped on something that exploded like a water balloon as well. Okay, this is definitely the work of a professional ninja because no way could their steps, especially Sasuke's soft ones, could have popped water balloons so easily. They were even flat enough to be nearly mistaken as ground. Suigetsu, being the water boy that he is, he can tell instantly what kind of water steps into his body and when he felt the small splashes of the water against his skin, he's startled again.

'_This water…'_

Both Sasuke and Karin sense the ANBU's chakra now and his next attack is prepared. They turn their attention away from the ground to the ninja but they look back when Suigetsu yells, "There's rock salt mixed in with the water!"

Rock salt? Oh no… This is bad because this ANBU's next attack is….

_Cry, zzzz, crackle-crackle_

Lightning.

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><p><strong>Now you guys understand why I sort of wanted to write more. But I think I'll better explain the rest in my next chapter. For now, I'll just leave you guys on the cliffhanger and enjoy you guys yelling at me for it. I just hope I can get it done but depending on how Kishimoto is going, -shrugs- again, who knows.<strong>

**But how was it? Bad? Good? Not a good ending? Let me know! Till next time!**


	16. And Then the Truth is Out

**A/N: Hey guys! It is the day before the next chapter comes out and thanks to last week, I was so inspired to write, I would have updated this last week but when I realized that it was literally two days since the last time I updated, I controlled myself. That was a little, uh, too soon if you ask me. I apologize that this chapter is long and I was thinking about cutting it in half but I'm already one chapter ahead of what I originally planned so I think I'll just deal with it and hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now last time, Suigetsu finally spilled the beans to Sasuke but he didn't give him the details of Itachi's true intentions. So in this chapter…I think I'll just let you guys read this first before I spoil anything.**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. Before I wished I did but Kishimoto has been such a good boy lately, I'll let him keep it. If I did own the story, I would have written it like this, sort of. Kishimoto just has to keep giving me the Itachi/Sasuke goodness and who knows. Maybe I'll be inspired enough again to update next week, like how I'm SUPPOSED TO DO for this story. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and I'm so happy you like this story. Please keep them coming so I know if I'm still doing a good job or not. Thank you and enjoy!**

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><p>Ch. 15: And the Truth is Out<p>

For the villagers, who have no idea what is really going on right now, see that instead of Sasuke stomping to Danzo's tent in a fit of rage they see Naruto in the same matter and they all back off the same way. Now Sasuke, being the last of the fearsome Uchiha clan, that's a very good reason to back off when you see him stomping down the streets in more anger than a demon could ever feel towards anything. As for Naruto, still the jinchuriki of the terrifying Kyuubi, that's also a very good reason to pray you are not in his way when he has more rage than HELL could even contain. The Uzumaki hero is more than just pissed off, furious, enraged, and any kind of word to describe how angry he is. He's almost at the point where he can just give into the tailed-beast side of him again and go on a rampage. The only problem is because he's in his own beloved village, he hasn't done that yet. If only he can become that side of him and direct all his attacks onto on certain man instead of everyone else, that would be swell.

When he woke up this morning, of course he was surprised and very worried when Sasuke wasn't in his room or even his own house. Heck, the blonde was ready to have a heart attack if he couldn't find him. Him and Sakura both. Yamato feared the worst that Sasuke may have indeed gone to meet with his team and is probably talking to them as they speak. Sai seemed concerned too but at least he wasn't as outrageous as Naruto was. It was Kakashi who calmed them all, at least enough to remind them that the ANBU may still be watching them to observe their decision in what to do about their missing Uchiha. Naruto could hardly calm down but if he wanted to get his friend back safely home, then yeah he needed to calm down. At least he had enough faith to believe that Sasuke was able to outsmart the ANBU and met with that Team Hebi guys in secret.

But why would Sasuke go off to meet them on his own without telling them? Doesn't he remember anything about what it means to be a team-player? Naruto thought with Sasuke back and the way he's been before that whole Team Hebi/Danzo incident, Sasuke was starting to open up to them and depend on them a little again. Okay so maybe the real reason why Naruto was all up and arms about the Uchiha's leaving was because he really couldn't depend on them to back him up. Yeah sure last night's discussion didn't really help to solve anything but still!

Then later on in the day, possibly about an hour after they woke up, Kakashi, who had sent his dogs out to gather intel on the Uchiha, told them the most upsetting news he could ever give his team. He not only told them that his dogs followed Sasuke's scent to a clearing just outside of Konoha's walls, but there was evidence of a fight in that area. A lightning attack had been used but it wasn't Sasuke's. There was a suggestion that it may have been one of the other Hebi members but seeing a bit of their skills that one brief time, none of them used lightning. The red-head woman looked like a taijutsu type and probably a sensory type as well. The white hair boy used Zabuza's sword and there were some things that he did that proved he was a water type as well. Lightning is not his best friend if that's the case. Then that orange head…he was definitely interesting. The way his body morphed and the marks on his body, they were no different than the marks on Sasuke's body when he had the curse mark. Now that was mentioned, Sasuke hasn't used his curse mark at all since he returned to the village. Not even when he was fighting Pein.

But that wasn't the upsetting news. It was surprising and worryingly to hear that a fight might have happened but what really hit the money was that there was a fifth and sixth scent at the scene. One of them was an unknown and the other was an ANBU the dog reported but he only knows one was an ANBU because there were ashes at the scene. When an ANBU dies, usually their bodies are instantly destroyed to leave no evidence behind. For a dog however, he smelt the ANBU's ashes, or what was left of them anyway. But judging by the smell of all the other scents, the dog also discovered something more. He discovered at least four bodies were lying on the grass with some essence of the salt water when the ANBU died. One of them being Sasuke, and then the other three just instantly disappeared right as the ANBU's body was burning. Sasuke remained and the sixth sense approached the Uchiha and their scents mixed. Most likely, Sasuke has been captured by someone and since that body didn't burn, then there is the possibility of that person not being an ANBU black op. After all, what black op would kill their own men when their mission is to either stop or eliminate the Akatsuki along with their allies?

So that's the reason why Naruto is marching off to the supposed Sixth Hokage now. Because that old crippled man has been using ANBU to watch Sasuke and now that he's gone and the ANBU is dead, who else better to blame for the Uchiha's kidnapping?

"Naruto!"

Not even bothering to stop for the call from his sensei, the blonde still just stomps to the tent where the ANBU guarding the entrance have now caught sight of him and they see the rage burning out of his already red, vertical pupil eyes.

"Naruto, wait!" Kakashi calls again, but he still doesn't listen. The ANBU quickly decide to stand before the spiky blonde in case he decided to do anything against Danzo.

"Outta of my way!" he yells, pushing them both side as soon as he was close enough.

One moved an inch, the other more but the one who only moved an inch then has a kunai knife in his hand and he was just about to stab Naruto with it in the back. Maybe not in an area where he can die from it but at least wound him to stop him. But right when his knife was about to hit the boy, Kakashi's hand grabs that ANBU's wrist and stops him from hurting his student. Naruto continues to march right in as if nothing happened. The spiky silver haired man called for him again but Naruto didn't hear him because as soon as he sees that old man still sitting on his butt in that couch of his, his rage just took over his senses and focused only on him as a growl slightly rumbles out of his chest.

"Uzumaki Naruto, what do you want?" Danzo asks, as if he doesn't know already!

Not even bothering to be polite or whatever, Naruto yells, "You sure as hell know what I want! Give me my friend back!"

Right after he says that, he feels a hand on his shoulder and he turns around to see right when he saw nothing of a flicker of emotion pass through that old geezer's face – just that hard face that was pissing him off even more.

Looking behind him, the blonde sees Kakashi. "Naruto, calm down. Forgive us, Danzo-sama."

"You my address me as 'Hokage-sama'. That is what I am, isn't it?"

A small silence passes through them when he said that, only worstening Naruto's rage right now. Too bad, because he would have felt how Kakashi tightened his grip on the blonde's shoulder after the one eyed man said that to him. "A Hokage would not have given order to assassinate the hero of Konoha without cause."

Since we're on the main topic here, Naruto registered that. He looks back over his shoulder and he sees the anger and detest in his sensei's eye. That's also when Danzo opens his one eye. So now he's going to take it seriously. But seeing how he clenches his cane at the sound of that, he knows what they're talking about.

"He was conspiracing with the Akatsuki – the organization that destroyed this village. That is reason enough for me to believe that the Uchiha brat is nothing more than a traitor. A two-face snake just like his brother and his master."

What did he say? How dare he say that! Sasuke is nothing like them! Itachi murdered his family in cold blood and Orochimaru tried to destroy the village. Sasuke has never done any of that! Yes, he abandoned the village but he came back and he help protected it from Pein! Danzo doesn't even know him so how dare he make such decision as despicable as this and just calmly sit on his damn couch too!

"Why don't you shut up, old man?" Naruto yells.

But Kakashi snaps, "Naruto!" and pulls him back slightly to try and calm him.

Doesn't work. "We know you've hated the Uchiha clan before we were even born and you were after the Hokage position way longer before then. Now that you have your precious station, it's not surprising to me that the first thing you want to do is get rid of Sasuke!"

"Naruto, that's enough!" This time the older man, pulls Naruto back greatly to make him stop. He can understand the boy's anger but they need to be careful after all since Danzo, rather they accept him or not, the Fire Lord has declared him the Sixth Hokage until the Jounin vote. So Danzo is in an untouchable position as well as Naruto and Sasuke. Unless they can find even a small speck of physical evidence that they can use against him. Finding out about an ANBU being dead and Sasuke disappeared along with his Team Hebi does not look good for him. If Naruto starts picking fights with the Hokage, he could be charged with assault against the Hokage. However, that doesn't mean Kakashi can't interrogate him. After all, he is a jounin and if Danzo wants his vote, then he needs to earn it. "Your ANBU were watching Sasuke since the last time he's been in this tent, correct? He must have heard what they were talking about before you killed those three Akatsuki."

Since Naruto declared that he knows that something happened to Sasuke and it might have been of Danzo's doing, no use giving the old geezer any other kind of information. Accord to the dog, that dead ANBU was the only one there before Team Hebi, Sasuke, and mysterious ANBU murderer disappeared. Maybe pretending that the dogs' nose isn't that sharp, it could help keep a few things from Danzo before he uses any other kind of information to use against Sasuke.

When Naruto heard his sensei's words, he was confused about the three Akatsuki member's death. Did they really or is that a lie…

Danzo replies, "He did not hear a word of their discussion. He saw Uchiha Sasuke talking to the Akatsuki and he reported to me immediately of this. I gave him permission to eliminate them. This is for the sake of the village. Do try to understand that."

Kakashi narrows his eye at him when he said that. He just answered a few questions he didn't realize he just answered. So he's not going to deny the fact that those three Akatsuki members are dead. He's going to pretend that they are and he's going to pretend that Sasuke may have left with mystery scent sixth willingly. Danzo didn't ask any questions. Only shoot. Naruto, however, is again seriously angry.

"Why you back-stabbing, twisted-"

"Naruto! Let's go," Kakashi commands, pulling the spiky blonde with him.

Naruto exclaims, "What? That's it!"

"Also Uzumaki Naruto," Danzo calls before they completely left his tent. Standing up, he finishes, "you are not to leave this village in hopes of finding your 'friend'. You are to remain here, hidden from the other Akatsuki members who still wish to capture you for your tailed beast. My men will be watching you in my absence."

Naruto's eyes widen to the size of entrée plates when he heard that and his mouth became a straight line. What did he just say? The spiky haired jounin has not other reaction, except calculating and analyzing. That little order, it just reveals that Danzo doesn't have Sasuke. Someone else does and that's the Akatsuki.

"You're leaving?" Every word Danzo says is new piece of information Kakashi can use for later. He just needs to play it cool like always.

Danzo explains to them both, "There has been a Kage Summit to discuss the Akatsuki problem. You and the rest of Team 7 are not to leave this village either. My men will be watching."

What the hell? So just because he's the Hokage, temporary, he thinks he can order them around and lock them up like children on a time-out or like they're the fugitives? First he gets rid of Sasuke and now he's preventing Team 7 to go and find him. It's like he wants Sasuke to be a fugitive again! Anything to give him understandable reason to kill of the Uchiha clan! Is that what this is? Making the Uchiha clan completely extinct? Why that good for nothing, self-righteous-

Kakashi replies, "Understood."

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><p>When Team 7 woke up to find Sasuke gone and Sakura and Naruto started to go off into a panic, Kakashi summoned his dogs and sent them off to do some investigating. As they waited, even though Naruto wanted to follow the dogs and find Sasuke, it took a lot to convince all of them that what they need to do now is wait. However, he did a little investigating. If he knows Sasuke as well as he did back then all those years ago, then he knows that the teenager would have left something for them to find. Something to prove that he didn't just get up and leave. After the wonderful performance he pulled off against Pein, there isn't a doubt in the jounin's mind that the Uchiha would go running off on his own. That'll be too reckless. He just understood from last night that all of the talking with everyone would be a waste of time – something they don't have with Danzo watching him like a hawk. So when he investigated the Uchiha's room, he noticed that he had indeed left something behind for them to find. A very interesting something. He left behind a paper talisman and it wasn't just any paper talisman. Kakashi instantly recognize it as a teleportation talisman used to travel from one spot to another in great distance. It was something the Fourth Hokage, Minato, was a specialist in. How he learned this, rather it was something he did on his own or Orochimaru taught it to him, it doesn't matter. Kakashi found the talisman on his own and from his small experience on how it works, he teleported from the house to a cave and the first thing he hears is groaning. Looking around the cave, he was stunned to see those three members of the Akatsuki lying on the ground and pretty beaten up. Two of them were still giving off lightning sparks. Seeing those sparks, Kakashi knew he wouldn't have done such a thing to them. Something happened and looking out of the cave, they're within Konoha's walls, in the village, and they're deep within the vegetation. He could tell that the closest house to them would be Sasuke's. Did he plan all of this out before he headed out to greet them? Was he just being cautious that something might happened if he was caught by the ANBU? Then why teleport these three and not himself as well?<p>

Seeing them wounded, Kakashi couldn't just leave them like this so he used the talisman again to teleport back to the house just in time for one of his dogs to return and report what he has discovered in the clearing outside of the village. Hearing that Sasuke may have been captured by someone, Kakashi wondered if it was one of Danzo's men or possibly, could it have been that masked Akatsuki? If it was then there is a very big reason to panic. If the Akatsuki has Sasuke, then who knows what will happen! His team wanted him back and they knew the truth about Itachi. Whatever that truth is if Sasuke learns it, there is a chance it might turn that boy against the village. Though that is completely unlikely, Kakashi still has that uneasy feeling in his gut that tells him if they don't do something soon, something terrible will happen.

Before he knew it, Naruto marched out of the house and he left in a fit of rage. Kakashi could only guess where he was going but before Sakura was going to chase after the blonde to stop him, he stopped her to tell her, Yamato, and Sai about the talisman he discovered. He even asked her to gather as much first aid supplies she may need and a few mats with some seals. He explained to them briefly of what he discovered and even though he doesn't have the full story, it doesn't change the matter that those three shinobis need medical attention. So he used the talisman to take them to those three Akatsuki members and then he used it again to go running off after Naruto from the house.

Meanwhile in the cave, Yamato is near the entrance to keep watch if any intruders are coming this area or any ANBU for that matter. Sakura is healing Juugo's wounds while all three of them are lying on a mat with seals painted on the ground underneath them to prevent them from moving, Suigetsu and Karin are already checked and bandaged up, and all three of them are conscious. Finally, Sai is in the back of the cave, not all the way back but farther in than the others, and before him is his scroll with painted animals already in and all he has to do is activate his jutsu and they'll spring on the first Akatsuki member who dares try to do anything.

While Suigetsu and Karin are staring at Sakura with untrusting eyes, Karin especially, Juugo is looking at her in wonder and curiosity. "Why are you healing us?" he asks.

He's the first to talk since Sakura started to work on healing them. The three of them were badly electrocuted. It's amazing really that they're still alive but that is most likely due to the ANBU stopping just in time so he could probably take them in for interrogation and be killed later. Karin was the first Sakura worked on because of her wound to the shoulder. It was infected and it's almost funny to hear that considering that with one bite of her flesh and she can heal others but she can't heal herself?

Startled by Juugo's question, Sakura looked away from her focus on her hands glowing green over his chest with her chakra before softly smiling at him and replying, "Because your Sasuke's precious comrades. I can't let any of you die." Even though she said that with the utmost sincerity, Suigetsu and Karin still look at her with distrust but Juugo can see the worry and fear in her eyes. All for Sasuke's safety. That's why she looks so distress right now. She must really care about him.

"I want to ring that old man's neck!"

That startles just about everyone when they hear Naruto's booming voice echoing in the cave. They all turn around towards his voice behind Sai and they see him marching up back and forth and still fuming while Kakashi looks like his usual stoic self. On the way back to the house, and in the safety of it, the jounin explained to Naruto what he found and when he used it, he was surprised to see Sakura healing the orange head Team Hebi member and when he heard her answer to the question he missed, his anger came back.

Kakashi tries to tell him quietly, "Naruto, calm down."

But of course he doesn't listen. "Don't tell me to calm down! How could you just stand there as that bastard declared Sasuke the enemy! Sasuke had just started his life back here in the village and you're going to let that man destroy it?"

Karin huffs when she heard that. "Smart old man, it sounds like." The attention is turned to her when she said that. Sticking with her tough façade, she declares to them, "Sasuke doesn't need to restart his life in this village with double crossers like you. He's better off free with people who truly care about him."

People who truly care about him? At first, that was why Juugo agreed to taking Sasuke out of this village. He believed for them to be people who care about the Uchiha but instead here they are, Sasuke is missing, and they're being healed by a girl who he discovers to care very dearly about the sole Uchiha survivor.

Naruto gets angry again and he tells her, "You think that masked guy cares about Sasuke? He's probably going to use him just like how he used you to get him back! Where is he now since he has Sasuke? He's not coming back for you."

Juugo blinks in surprise when he heard that.

Karin, however, snaps again, "Well no one asked you to save us! I was prepared to die. I would do anything to make sure Sasuke is away from people like who would just use him, humiliate him, and then kill him off at the slightest bit of defiance!"

For many, what in the world is she talking about? They would never do that to him. All these years, they've been searching for him and for him alone. Not because he's strong or whatever. They just wanted their teammate back. Kakashi is the only clueless once who's still observing the situation and remaining his ground.

"And you believe that masked Akatsuki is not going to do the same to him?" he asks. The rest of Team 7 look at him in shock when he said that. Even Juugo looks like that while Karin and Suigetsu give him a curious look. "The Akatsuki were gathering tailed-beasts for a reason and he needs Sasuke for something. We need you to tell us everything you know about them and why. But you can start with where their location is. Our first priority is to find Sasuke and bring him home." Karin says nothing, and neither does Suigetsu. Karin and Suigetsu just look defiantly silent while Juugo, Kakashi can tell, looks unsure. As he looks away in thought, it's like he's debating if he should say anything because Kakashi's words got to him but he's still unsure. Whatever that masked Akatsuki told him, it's probably repeating in his head right now as well as Naruto's and Kakashi's words. They don't have time for this.

"Fine." Kakashi steps back for a moment and takes out a knife to cut his finger before any of the Team Hebi members think he's going to use the means of force to get information out of them. That's not going to change their views about them at all. Then he starts performing hand signs and slamming his hand to the ground, a puff of white smoke appears and then a dog after the smoke disappears. He performed his summoning jutsu and Naruto instantly recognizes the dog.

"Pakun!"

He was actually wondering at first why Kakashi didn't summon before like how he always does. At least this just made up for it. Karin and Suigetsu raise a brow when they see this little dog. They're going to use him? He looks so small and pathetic.

Pakun raises his paw in greeting and says, "Hey, Naruto. How's it going?"

And he talks too? Oh brilliant!

But Kakashi steps in before any idly conversation begins. "Pakun, I need you to find the location of the Akatsuki for us."

The dog looked over his shoulder when Kakashi talked to him and he asks, "Again? Who got captured this time?"

"Sasuke. Could you find the location of Akatsuki's hideout from the smell of these three here?"

"No problem."

But before he even took a step towards any of them, Juugo voices out, "I'll tell you where it is."

All eyes turn to him when he said that. Sakura, who had long ago finished healing his wounds, looks down at the big orange-head man startled and the others share the same expression. Except for Suigetsu and Karin. They're in shock that he said that.

Karin calls, "Juugo! Shut up! Are you insane?"

He turns his head to her a bit and replies, "I believe these people truly care for Sasuke. Sasuke is not so easily fooled and if he trusts these people enough to leave us in their care when we were attacked, then maybe what we assumed about Konoha doesn't include them. When they asked why we meant by their village not being safe, were they really clueless or were they pretending?"

Karin didn't say anything when she heard that. The others turn to her to see if she'll say anything against to it but she doesn't. She looks startled before looking down at the floor in frustration and defeat. So then she has the ability to tell when someone is lying or not. Then she knows that they really had no idea what they meant by using Sasuke. They would never use him anyway. She knew that and she didn't say anything.

For Suigetsu, this was typical Karin. She knew the truth and she didn't say anything about it. She wanted to make the others think that Sasuke was in danger of these people just so when they retrieved him, she would have them back in her clutches again. She played them, just like how that masked man played her.

"There's a hideout in the mountains half a day journey from here," the swordsman tells them, after being silent all this time. The attention is turned to him this time and he just looks bored and uncaring right now. "That was the one we came from. Don't know if Sasuke was taken there or not but that's the closest hideout."

Pakun, who approaches the water-shinobi as he was saying all of that, sniffs his body and reports, "He's telling the truth Kakashi. There is a strong mountain scent on his body and I bet I can find that mountain hideout without having to stop and check first."

Rather this is a trap set for them or not, it's their best shot if they're ever going to get Sasuke back. Kakashi has no choice but to trust his words. "Alright then," he nods. Turning to his students, he tells them "Naruto, Sakura, you two will follow him. Yamato, Sai, and I will keep an eye on these three. Sasuke is most likely still wounded from that ANBU's attack. I need a medic I can trust to ensure he's alright."

"He's probably telling Sasuke the same thing he told us," Suigetsu injects. Since the seal is only preventing him from moving off the mat, the least he can do is turn to his side to lie on. "I wonder when you two find him, will Sasuke still be the same?"

Team 7 narrow their eyes at him in curiosity when he said that. This time, Sai asks, "And why is that?"

Suigetsu doesn't even bother to look at anyone when he replies, "You can ask Sasuke when he gets back, if he does. I may not know your old Sasuke but I know the current one. Who knows how he'll react to such big news."

His words, as much as Naruto wants to argue against them, they strike fear and panic in his and Sakura's hearts. They could argue that Sasuke has changed back to the comrade they used to know but what if what the white-hair shinobi says is true? Whatever the news is that these guys know that would so desperately want to take Sasuke back because of it, what if it does change Sasuke back into that uncaring shinobi that only wanted revenge and lived on hatred? What if he ends up taking his revenge on the village this time because of it?

Quickly, Kakashi tells them as he hands Naruto two of Sasuke's talismans, "Take these. Once you get Sasuke, teleport here immediately. There's one for this cave and the other is for that clearing outside of the village walls. Once you come back to the cave, send word for me immediately. I will come and tell you when it is clear to sneak Sasuke back in. For now, we'll figure out how to sneak these three in."

That explains why Kakashi needs Yamato and Sai; an even number of people to watch them. Otherwise, Naruto would have asked why Sai can't come with them when he seems to be on good terms with the Uchiha.

Sakura nods to her sensei and stands up to approach Naruto's side. "Understood."

"Don't worry," Naruto tells him. "I brought Sasuke back once, I can do it again." Then without another word with Sakura clinging onto his clothing and Pakun who has jumped onto Naruto's shoulder, the spiky blonde activates the talisman, having observed what Kakashi did the first time to get here, and in a blink of an eye, the three of them are gone.

Suigetsu watched them leave at least. Usually, he would consider himself a loyal guy to his comrades but swearing his loyalty to Akatsuki and that masked man, not a chance in hell. He only went along with it to get Kisame's sword. Now that he's in a stump and Kisame is off retrieving the eight-tails, again. What else to do on a mat that's keeping you sealed to the ground than sleep? So he closes his eyes and goes off into dreamland.

_Zzzzz_

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><p>Sasuke remembers the day when he first laid eyes on those teleportation talismans. He was looking for his green stuffed dinosaur and he dared himself to search through Itachi's room for it when it was really in the wash to be clean. He thought his dinosaur was lost and he had to find him like how his brother always looked for him when the five-year old boy was lost. He was caught eventually by Itachi but that was after Sasuke had looked under his older brother's bed, only to find an old box filled with paper talismans. He was afraid that his brother would yell at him for looking through his room without his permission but his brother was understanding back then. He only asked for an explanation and after hearing the story of the missing dinosaur, he just smiled and poked the kid's forehead; like always. Then when Sasuke asked about the talisman, Itachi told him that they were given to him by someone who saved his life a long time ago – the Fourth Hokage. It was during the Third Shinobi War before the Kannabi Bridge incident that helped won the war. He was kidnapped by the enemies and they were going to kill him and remove his eyes when they decided that it would be better to train him as their own and then use him against his home. He wasn't going to allow that so he tried to escape. It sort of worked but it was the Fourth Hokage who saved him from that place with their father. It's just…when Itachi was there, there were things he still wished he had never seen. It changed him that day and every day he's grateful to the Fourth Hokage for rescuing him. Otherwise, he would never have met his adorable little brother. But the talismans are gifts from the Fourth Hokage so that if Itachi ever needed to escape from somewhere the next time he was captured, use them.<p>

To this day, Sasuke remembers the symbols of those talismans and before he left this morning to see Team Hebi, he made them, tested them to be sure he made them correctly, and then set his 'escape route'. In all honest truth, he had a fifty percent hunch that the ANBU would attack as soon as they see him talking to people dressed in Akatsuki cloaks. He had hope that maybe he can convince his team to come with him to start a new life in the village and they tell him what they know about his brother and the real reason why his clan was killed – if there is any other reason than the one Itachi told him that night. But to hear that village made Itachi kill the Uchiha clan, how could Sasuke believe the mere words of it? Then the ANBU did attack and they got electrocuted. Sasuke cursed himself for being so careless when it happened and after the ANBU had just stopped his attack before they were all killed, he had to act fact to save them. Compared to them, he has the better chance of surviving. Maybe, knowing that old geezer, but at least 'maybe' is better than having the certainty of being executed for wearing an Akatsuki cloak. There was only one ANBU there and if Sasuke is lucky, then he didn't see the members of Team Hebi's faces. So he used the talisman he had hidden in his sleeve and teleported them to that hiding spot he found within Konoha's walls. Hopefully Kakashi or someone will find the talisman he left in his room and use it to find Team Hebi and get Sakura to heal them. The Uchiha was lucky to still be able to move after that attack and he's naturally a lightning chakra nature. Imagine the damages for those who weren't; especially Suigetsu. After his courageous act for these people who have stayed by his side during his assignation mission and appear loyal to him still after almost two months of not seeing each other., the Uchiha felt greatly weakened and to the point of fainting. Before he did however, he saw one thing. He saw a pair of feet presented before his vision and a halo of black over those feet.

Opening his eyes, everything was incredibly foggy. All Sasuke could see was color. A dark orange, brownish color with some black outline and soon that color started to gain form. As the Uchiha boy's vision adjusts to what he's looking at, he sees that what he's looking at is spikes. Big stone spikes pointing down at him like with just a crack, they'll fall and stab him right through. So he's inside a cave then, is he? Funny. He thought he would be chained or something in a prison cell. But instead he feels like he's lying on something sort of soft and warm with a blanket over him.

"I treated your wounds."

Hearing that voice, it instantly awaken the Uchiha's senses. His body still aches so he can't do anything rash and risky but he sits up from this bed he's on and instantly a shoot wave of pain rush through. Okay, so that was still a slight rash move but at least not risky. Looking at his chest, he sees his shirt is gone and he has bandages wrapped around his chest – wounds from being electrocuted with some bits of his flesh getting burned and his wounds from his fight with Pein opened a little when they were just about to heal. Brilliant but at least whoever spoke, he was telling the truth about treating his wounds.

Looking around him, Sasuke sees that he is indeed in a cave, on a futon, a few boxes of crates in this room, a lighted lamp, and on the other half of this cave, there is nothing but pitch darkness. That's where the voice came from it, sounded like. It spoke again to prove it.

"What you did for your comrades was rather noble of you. Something I suppose I can suspect from a Konoha Shinobi. Or perhaps rather from an Uchiha."

Okay so obviously, this is not an ANBU interrogation base. As secretive and possibly trap Sasuke may be in this cave, the ANBU under Danzo's control wouldn't be giving him this kind of treatment. Even if they wanted him alive to be interrogated or publically humiliated, they would at least chain him or seal him to the futon. Even they are not that confident that one measly lightning attack against a lightning user would be enough to keep him down.

However, if it's not the ANBU then, _'Who?'_

His internal question, his silence, and his analyzing dark eyes soon gain their answer. Seeing the failed attempt to try and see through the darkness if he can pick up an even darker shadow to know who is here. He recognize the voice at all. However, he begins to hear footsteps and soon enough, someone comes out. Someone with a black suit on that cover just about every inch of his body. The only thing that stands out on this person is the orange swirly mask on his face and the short spiky dark brown hair on his head. Sasuke has seen him before. With that bomber, Deidara and with an Akatsuki cloak on the last time. He also had a higher voice than this dark, deeper one he's using now.

Seeing the recognition realization on the young Uchiha's face, the masked-man, or Tobi was the name Deidara called him, points out, "You remember me, I see. Although we were enemies the last time we met. Don't worry. I don't hold Deidara's death against you…or Pein's…or Itachi's." Sasuke's eyes were watching him like a hawk with distrust and caution in his eyes but when he heard his brother's name, they narrow at the sound it. "I am not your enemy."

Sasuke doubts that but at the same time, it almost sounds believable. He refuses to say anything. If what Suigetsu said before came from this man, about that it was the village who _forced_ his brother to slaughter his clan, how can he believe him?

"I brought you here in order to tell you something. You believe you know everything about your brother but thanks to your teammates, you now know you obviously don't."

Thought so. Sasuke grips the sheet covering the bottom half of his body and his voice dripping with venom and daring the other man, asks, "And who are you exactly to believe that you can convince me to think that you do?"

As far as Sasuke knows, this guy not only helped Deidara try to kill him but he may also be after him and convince him to come over to his side. Like hell. As far as the Uchiha knows, his loyalty belongs to the village, with a crocked old man as the Hokage or not. Tsunade will awaken from her coma and then beat the crap out of Danzo. If they really want to convince him that the man who eliminated his clan, the same man who tried to kill him as well rather he grieves for that guy or not, was a good guy from day one and the village is truly crocked, then provide reliable evidence.

Tobi can just see it on Sasuke's face. He's not going to believe him, let alone listen to him, so easily. So as his hand rises up to his mask, he says, "Oh right. Let me start with a self-intro, then. Like you, I am an Uchiha survivor." Now that is a fact that instantly captures Sasuke's attention. Watching intensively, he sits there as the masked man takes off his mask but only shows a small portion of his face. A portion that reveals a bright Sharingan eye. "And one who knows the truth about Uchiha Itachi."

Sasuke eyes widen when he sees that Sharingan but something else happened as well. His left eye transforms into his Sharingan, only his left eye, and then it begins to bleed and from Tobi's point of view, the Sharingan slowly transforms not into Sasuke's own Mangekyo Sharingan shape but to Itachi's.

'_No way!'_ And then in less than a blink of an eye, black flames appears on Tobi's shoulder. "Argh!" he cries as the black flames grow bigger and bigger.

Quickly, Sasuke closes that eye and looks away. For two reasons; one because it was out of reaction and two, because his eye hurt. "Ugh!"

But Tobi's cries are much louder and full of so much agony. "Gaaargh!...Unh…"

His cries down and the first initial thought is Tobi has been burned to death by those black flames, or the Amaterasu. But speaking of them, Sasuke is really confused now. He didn't intended to use his new Mangekyo powers. They just activated on their own and damn did it hurt! Was it because Sasuke is still weak because of the lightning attack? He used Susanno and Amaterasu in his battle against Pein and by that, he's gone accustomed to the pain. Draining more chakra energy from him must be the cause of his pain. But unknown, or rather unseen, to him, Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan reverts back to the normal Sharingan and then disappears, only leaving that smudge of blood on his face in evidence of its existence.

Sasuke wonders out loud, "What was that?" Only silence responds to him. There's no one else in here.

Until he hears the sounds of rushing footsteps. Faint but here and closer. Then…

_Boom_

Sasuke had to look away when suddenly the rock wall across from him exploded or rather was destroyed into a hundred different pieces. Now what?

"Sasuke!"

That's…Naruto!

The Uchiha looks up and sure enough he sees Naruto and Sakura with Pakkun looking at him in surprise and in most, great relief of seeing him with small traces of complete panic still left in their eyes. Did they hear the screaming and thought it was him? From the look of their positions, it was Sakura who punched down the wall. As expected but that doesn't matter. What matters is that these two found him and so quickly.

Unless…how long as he been asleep?

"You two…" Sasuke mumbles when he sees them.

Seeing that it's really him and not some genjutsu, the two humans plus one dog rushes to him and Sakura is the first to instantly be by his side. "Oh thank goodness we found you. Are you alright?" she asks, her hand going to his face and looking it over, since there is blood on his face. But she should have seen similar smudges of blood on his face before and know why that's there.

"I'm fine, Sakura," he responds, grasping her hand on his face to assure her. Her face turned red from the contact and Naruto blinks in surprise of that bold move.

Hold on, did they tell him to start dating Hinata because they started hooking up and didn't want him to feel left out?

"Itachi, that little sneak."

That wasn't…any of them. While Naruto and Sakura are only surprised to have heard that slightly familiar voice and all of a sudden, Sasuke's eyes are wide and his mouth is a firm line. Impossible!

All three of them turn towards the darkness, as Pakkun who stands by the hole and hides behind the wall to watch in safety, and the first thing they see is that orange mask being picked up by his owner. That mask must have been dropped as Tobi was screaming and being burned by the Amaterasu and now he just calmly places it back on as if nothing happened. "Leave it to him to set a postmortem trap. I can't believe how well he plans ahead."

For those who just got here, they're a little confused. As for Sasuke, he's in denial. That Amaterasu doesn't go out until the victim is burned to ashes. And yet this guy is not only alive, he looks as if the Amaterasu never even touched him. But he was sure this Tobi guy got hit and he was screaming in utter pain and agony only a minute ago. So then what the hell?

The first to recover from this little surprise, and the first to bark as always, Naruto asks the masked man, "What…What are you talking about?"

This is bad, slightly. This was the guy that avoided every attack they could throw at him when they were on the Sasuke Retrieval mission. They still have a way to escape from this place but they need a distraction and they need to be extremely quick because this guy is just as fast. So what do they do now? And what strange talking is he using?

"And now I have two unworthy shinobis in here to listen. How unfortunate," Tobi sighs. Unworthy? Incase he's forgotten, Naruto was able to outsmart him and get Sasuke first! Not him! "Though I doubt I'll be able to say what I plan to tell you and for you to believe me, Sasuke, if I decide to kill off the nuisance."

Okay this guy is really starting to piss off Naruto. First he tries to distract them that time almost two months ago, he's still part of Akatsuki that destroyed Konoha, and now he's kidnapped Sasuke by using his teammates from when the Uchiha was with Orochimaru. And also this guy dares to still talk as if he's the top dog around her? This guy is manipulative, sadistic, aggressive, and extremely arrogant!

Naruto took one step towards this guy but an arm came up and blocks his pack from down below. Looking down, he sees that it was Sasuke who did that and both him and Sakura look at him in confusion as the Uchiha is keeping his eyes on this masked man with the same cautious distrust in his eyes.

"Why would Itachi place a postmortem trap in my eye?" he asks, his voice firm.

This is good. He's interested in listening.

"In order to kill me, Itachi placed a justu in you or at least to keep me away from you. He probably set it so that the Amaterasu would automatically activate when you saw my Sharingan." Like Kakashi with Danzo, Sasuke's eyes narrow a bit from that bit of information as he takes it in. But there's also curiosity in his eyes still about Tobi's words. _'Well, thankfully Itachi didn't know everything about me or else I would be dead.'_ "So that was Itachi's lasy trick, eh? Too bad it didn't work."

Last trick? Didn't work? What for? "What are you talking about?"

"Itachi must have done something to you before he died."

Sasuke tensed when he heard that. Suddenly the image of what his opponent, his brother, did to him at their last fight with the last moments of his life. Itachi; he poked Sasuke in the forehead. Just as he'd always done before when they were children. Instead of taking his eyes out, he poked him in the forehead. Something Sasuke had once thought Itachi would never do to him again. And yet he did, and if that last unexpected Amaterasu attack is true, then Itachi did that for a reason.

"At the very end, he transferred his own ocular powers to you."

But why? Yes, Sasuke was grieving for Itachi but he was grieving for the old Itachi. The thirteen year old Itachi before he entered the ANBU and became suspicious to not only him but to every member of their clan. Sasuke grieved for the idea that he thought was his kind, compassionate older brother. He didn't grieve for that murderer. That fraud in his brother's skin with his blood. That fraud who died that day. Is Tobi trying to say that the fraud and Sasuke's brother are really one of the same?

Even Naruto and Sakura look confused right now by the masked man's words.

"What are you saying…?" Sasuke asks, after taking a while to gain back his composure. "What exactly is your point? Why would Itachi do such a thing?"

"Don't you get it? It was…to protect you."

* * *

><p><strong>And I think I'll end it there. This is getting a little long but yet again, the chapter 'Remembering the Old You' was longer. Oh well. Don't want another one…at least not for a while. But the next chapter is going to be something similar to that 'Remembering the Old You' one. I just hope I do that one justice.<strong>

**So how was it? Bad? Good? Criticism is welcomed because I do want to become a better writer. Till next time, my lovelies!**


	17. I Don't Know What to Believe Anymore

**A/N: Hello everyone! If any of you guys saw this week's chapter, then I would like to say that I was able to finally finish this blasted chapter because I was inspired by it. But I'm frustrated on how it ended! Kishimoto can't expect me to hold out for a week to see what else comes next after that ending! Plus, I'm a little angry that Tsunade wasn't able to see Dan again or Juugo seeing Kimimaro. I really wanted that…Oh well. The guy is a sadistic bastard anyway that writes an amazing anime…**

**I do NOT OWN ANY of the Naruto characters or the story itself. If I did, I would definitely write it similar to this. I can shamelessly say that now because I am re-angry with that guy and demand ownership! I'm a bit proud of this chapter, but I'll let you be the judge of that. Also the ending, some of you might get upset with me about it. Please believe me that I have good reasons for this! Trust me, please, and bear with me! If not, I can understand but tell me afterwards, okay? Thank you for all of your support, reviews, and patience until now. I am grateful to you all and I hope you will continue with your wonderful support. Thank you and enjoy!**

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><p>Ch. 16: I Don't Know What to Believe Anymore<p>

No one said a word after the story was told.

No one dared to blink, no one dared to breathe, and no one dared to think for the information was too much to take in and believe. Neither Naruto, Sakura, Pakkun, nor Sasuke could believe what Tobi, or Uchiha Madara as he claims to be, told them. How could they? All of it is just impossible!

Countless battles of the First Great War…Madara's little brother…Madara's own revenge and hatred…his betrayal…the Kyuubi attack created by him…discrimination against the Uchiha…Itachi a spy…the elimination of the clan ordered by the village?

It can't be…it just can't be!

Many would think Naruto would be the one screaming words of denial as he was listening to this tale Madara was telling them but he was so stunned by his beloved village that he'd lived in all his life could be capable of such a despicable thing that he couldn't speak. He was one of the really shocked ones. Sasuke was as well, considering that this was concerning him, however later on, he was tired of just sitting there and listening. He was the one who was screaming on how Itachi was completely evil from the very beginning and tried to kill him many times.

"You lie! It's all a big-"

"You're alive aren't you?"

But with one question, Sasuke was back to being too shock to speak. All of a sudden, everything just makes sense to him again. The mystery of why his brother changed has finally been solved and his screams of denial were the last of it that still lay buried very deeply into his heart. Now all of it is gone and all he can hear is Madara's voice telling him, "You're eyes didn't see through Itachi at all. Nor a single one of his illusion. Itachi…killed his friends, his superiors, his lover, his father, and his mother. But his little brother alone, he could not kill. He killed all of his own emotions, save for crying tears of blood, and slaughtered his own flesh and blood for the sake of his village…but he just couldn't bring himself to kill you. Do you understand what that means?...To him, your life was more precious than even the village."

And that was it. Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. His hand that was still grasping Sakura as a way to comfort her throughout this entire thing, he is the one crushing it in his tight grip – like his last attempt to still hold onto what he already holds so dear to him but is now slipping away because of this 'truth'. It just can't be true but what else is there to deny that this isn't true? Itachi is dead and Danzo isn't willing to talk; nor would he to anyone unless he could see that there was absolutely no way he could get around it. The village councilors would probably behave the same way. So then who else is there to support Madara's story?

And who else is there to prove that his story is false? No one. Absolutely no one.

"Up until the very end moment of his death…no, even after he died…in order to confer upon you new powers and by allowing you to defeat him, he achieved revenge against the Uchiha clan by making you out to be Konoha's Hero. Ravaged by illness painfully aware of his impending death, he forcefully prolonged his life with medication…all for his most beloved little brother…Because he had to fight you and die in front of you."

No…Just stop…

"For the sake of Konoha's peace, and more than anything, for you…Uchiha Sasuke, he wanted to die a criminal, a traitor."

Be quiet…just shut up…!

"Accepting dishonor in payment of honor…"

Enough!

"And hatred in payment of love; even then, Itachi died smiling."

Sasuke doesn't want to hear it! He doesn't want to…hear it…

"Entrusting the Uchiha name to you, while deceiving you forever."

JUST SHUT IT!

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Sasuke finally bursts screaming, pulling his hands away to the side of his head and gripping his hair. All eyes are on him as he tries to breathe in and out through his mouth in an orderly fashion. But he can't. His heart rate is going at an incredible rate, sweat is pouring down his face like a heavy rain storm tickling down his skin, his eyes are wider than entre plates, and he just feels like he can't breathe at all.

He can't breathe.

_Hack, cough!_

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura calls. Looking at the Uchiha's condition, she can easily identify what these signs are. He's hyperventilating. The shock is too great for him. "Sasuke-kun, listen to me! You need to take in slow deep breathes, okay? You need to calm down!"

But he can't. He can't calm down. Everything is just…it's all messed up now! Nothing makes sense anymore. None of it! Absolutely none of it!

As for Madara, while Team 7 is worried about their teammate, now is the perfect opportunity. Kill the medic girl, knock out the Kyuubi jinchuriki, and as Sasuke fades into the darkness, Madara will have just enough time to bind the Kyuubi jinchuriki and then further help regrow the plant of hatred that had once grown so beautifully inside this Uchiha boy. It died thanks to Naruto and the village but Madara will help that plant grow again and then, everything will be as it should be from the very beginning.

Right as the masked-man stands up from his crate he was sitting on all during the story telling, Naruto noticed and instantly reacts. He grasps his friends' shoulders and declares out loud, "It's time to leave!"

Both Madara's and Pakun's eyes widen when they heard that but while Pakun takes that as the signal to leave in his own way, Madara feels his golden opportunity vastly starting to slip away. They have nowhere to run when he is faster, but he has this feeling they're not leaving here the old fashion way.

No! He can't let this happen again!

Madara charges and Naruto activates the teleportation sutra he hid under his jacket on his shirt. In less than a blink of an eye, as Madara had just swung his arm at Naruto to grab him, his hand grabs nothing. Then a _poof_ is heard and Pakun has left as well.

They're gone and they took Sasuke with them. They used the Fourth Hokage's technique and by now, they're back in the clutches of Konoha once again. Madara has lost the Kyuubi Jinchuriki and Uchiha Sasuke.

In his rage, Madara screams. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

* * *

><p>Opening his eyes, Sasuke sees darkness. Or at least, what looks like darkness but when his eyes begin to adjust, he can faintly make out the lines of the stone wall before him. The only way for him to be able to see this detail is the light barely shining in from the outside. But the Uchiha doesn't bother with wondering where he is or where the faint light is coming from. He just…can't think anymore. He doesn't want to think anymore. Because then his mind will just go right back to Itachi's truth.<p>

"Will he be alright?" he hears Naruto ask in great concern.

In seconds, Sasuke feels Sakura's hand over his head and then there is a green light. Moving downwards, the pink hair medic reports, "That masked Akatsuki member already bandaged and healed most of his wounds from the lightning attack of the ANBU. However he is under a great deal of stress. His stamina is low and Sasuke-kun may be unresponsive when he wakes up." She must have looked back at his face because there is a gasp and she calls, "Sasuke-kun!"

He turns to look and he sees both faces of his friend looking at him with great concern on every inch of their features. "Oi, teme. You alright? We're back in the cave you hide your team in the village. You're safe now."

"Do you honestly believe I want to be back in this place after what I just learned?"

They didn't expect him to hear that. He caught them off guard because they thought he changed. Didn't hate so many things as much as he did before, but with that tone and those sharp words, the hate is returning. First there is the pain of utter betrayal and then in order to use that pain to become your strength after hating yourself for feeling so pathetic and stupid, you start hating those that made you feel that way. Sasuke is going down that road again. He's not even looking at them anymore. He wants to tell them to go away and let him swallow up in his despair but at the same time, he doesn't want them to leave. But these insignificant people cannot possibly understand him now. Not even Naruto.

But when he said nothing, Naruto understood and he watches his friend begin his first baby steps back onto that path, he's comes to the decision of what he needs to do next. He doesn't know if this will work but one thing is for certain; he doesn't want to lose his friend to the darkness again.

"Sakura-chan, go to Kakashi-sensei and tell him that we got Sasuke back."

The pink hair kunoichi is startled by this and she asks him, "Are you two going to stay here?"

"No," he replies. "I need to show him something."

Sasuke's ears picked up on that but he does nothing in response to it. Sakura is worried. She's worried if she's going to lose Sasuke right when she finally got the him that she loves him so much but she trusts Naruto. Whatever he's planning, she only hopes that it'll help Sasuke stay with them. She has no idea what the blonde is going to show him so all she can do is hope.

Nodding first, she says, "Alright." And with her own ninja speed, she disappears from the cave and rushes back to Sasuke's home without anyone seeing her in case ANBU Blacks Ops are on the lookout.

With the Haruno gone, Naruto takes a breather first before approaching the dejected Uchiha and kneeling before him. "Sasuke, I know that you probably want to be alone but can I show you something before I have do that?"

This is unusual behavior for him. He sounds sincere and almost mature but when it comes to Sasuke, he knows that he can't keep playing kid when things get serious. The Uchiha can also hear desperation in his voice. Like he really wants Sasuke to agree with him and then he can do whatever he wants the raven-head to do. In Sasuke's mind, what else does he have left to do? Madara has said his piece and he's considering it. Whatever Naruto wants to say, might as well take it into account before making some rash decision like he did before.

Though he doesn't respond with words. He tries pushing himself up but thanks to some of his wounds, his arms are still shaky. When he only got to being on all fours, Naruto helps him with putting one arm over his shoulder and lifting him up. Again, Sasuke doesn't answer with words as Naruto uses the teleportation sutra once again to be out of Konoha walls..

Team 7 had been gone the entire day. It's the dead of night outside and the sky is beginning to darken even more as dark clouds move over the stars and the moon. Is a storm coming? It probably fits the situation right now. Thanks to the shadows and one Uchiha's high sensitivity, they're able to dodge the ANBU who're on the lookout outside the walls for any activity of the Uchiha or any suspicious movements from those who still consider him friend. Even though the entire village still sees Sasuke as a hero who helped Naruto defeat Pein, orders are orders to the ANBU; especially when they came from Danzo.

Moving swiftly before it can start to rain, Naruto helps Sasuke up to a hill through a secret passage hidden from branches and bushes. There is a small dirt tail but nothing too wide to show that it's been used often. But once they reach the top of the hill, they've really reached the edge of a cliff that's still surrounded by vegetation but has a perfectly good view of the entire village; it's walls and inside of them. If this had been under different circumstances, the two shinobis would have gaped at the view – even Naruto who led Sasuke here. The view is just breathe-taking with some light of the stars and moon still visible before the clouds hide them away. The night light illuminates the village and with the street lights and few lights still on in the village, it almost looks like the sky is but a reflection of the beauty down below on earth. Everything looks better and easier at night, people always say. But again, the two shinobis are not here for the scenery. Near the edge of cliff, like possible about one or one and a half yards away from the edge, is a grave. A rectangle three inch thick of stone slap over the ground and one inch square stone slap under it. Sasuke instantly could tell it's a grave but why as Naruto taken him here? Seeing that he knows what it is, Naruto readjusts his hold on his friend and walks towards it.

Again, thanks to the night light and with their eyes already adjusted to the darkness, Sasuke looks down at the grave and his eyes widen at the name on it. It reads:

**Uchiha Itachi  
>Beloved Son and Brother<strong>

"I know that if you've seen this before we heard Madara's story, you would have questioned the beloved part. But I guess now, it seems appropriate," Naruto tells him, after seeing the surprise look on the raven's face.

Naruto made a _grave_ for Itachi? Before everything that happened today?

Stunned by this, Sasuke takes back his arm and takes slow steps closer to the grave. Then he gets down on his knees and his eyes have not removed themselves from the name. "You took his body, too?" he asks. He doesn't look at the blonde and if he did, he would see the scared nervous sky blue eyes staring at him as the Uchiha's eyes stare at the grave.

"I couldn't exactly leave him there. I didn't tell the others when I got you two. I don't think they would have approved that I brought the body of the Konoha traitor. Or they would have decided to destroy his body immediately. I told granny and it became a secret between us. She suggested that we destroyed it but I hoped that if you came around and forgive him, as much as a long shot it was before, you would have wanted something to bury."

Naruto did this…for him?

This might be one of those times when Sasuke would think 'How can I ever thank him for everything that he's done' but at the moment, he still doesn't feel like thanking anyone. Rather Naruto made a grave for his brother or not, with the Hokage's permission, it doesn't change the fact that Itachi was treated injusticely. If what Madara said is true and the only ones who can prove that is the village counselors and Danzo, then Itachi had sacrificed everything for the peace of the village. Sasuke hated him before and some of the villagers still arrogantly think of him as a traitor. Now with everything that's happened, how can Sasuke continue to act like nothing is wrong?

How can he continue to protect this village who so wrongly treated his kind, compassionate, pacifist brother?

"I…" he begins weakly. Naruto holds out for the next words but they only crushed his hopes when he hears, "…don't know what to believe in anymore…"

Now here it is for real. The fear that Sasuke will leave him again. Watching the Uchiha grip the grass before his brother's grave, his eyes cast down to the ground and his bangs shielding them away, his bottom lip being bitten due to the tantrum of his emotions, Naruto doesn't know what to say. He thought he can finally understand his friend since he lost Jiraiya and felt the hatred the Uchiha has lived feeling most of his life. But Naruto doesn't understand the pain of knowing that all this time, he's hated the wrong person. Nagato killed Jiraiya. There was not real scheme or dark truth hidden behind that story. It was all in the light. Now what is Naruto supposed to say to his friend when he has no idea how he feels right now that will keep him in the village.

"Then…believe in me, Sasuke!"

Sasuke slightly jerked when he heard that. Looking over his shoulder, he sees the blonde more desperate than ever. Placing his fist over his heart, Naruto declares to him, "I swear to you once I become Hokage, I will never do something so cruel and despicable. I know the pain of having nothing and living with nothing but the anger and the hatred to the world for the way I was forced to live. I know that pain just as much as you do and now I understand the pain of losing someone precious to you. I will make this village a better place and I will use honorable, peaceful ways to do it. If there is a conflict between the clans and the village, I will resolve it with words no matter what the odds. Believe in me, Sasuke! Just as you did before! Believe in me and I swear I will never allow something like this to happen ever again! Believe in me, because I believe in you." The Uchiha's eyes widen slightly when he heard that. With a softer voice and swallowing a lump in his throat first, Naruto risks, "And then, once you do that, I think you should believe in what your brother was risking everything for. What happened to him was wrong, yes, but he wanted you to live in a peaceful, happy village because he didn't want you to go through the horrors he had to go through. He really cared for you and I think you should remember that. The real reason why I persuade granny to let me make a grave for him was because despite what I saw him do to you three years ago, there was a nagging part of me knew he really cared for you. Before your fight with him, he and I met. Now that I think about it he may have been testing me. He was asking me what I would do if you didn't return to the village and decide to destroy it. I thought he was talking crazy but I still told him that I would protect Konoha and I would bring you back. That has been my promise from the very beginning and I don't go back on my word, teme. That is my ninja way. Then before he left, I saw him smile at my nindo. For only a brief moment, I saw him smiling approvingly at my decision. That had been bothering for a while and now I know why."

That Itachi. He took every precaution, didn't he? From implanting the Amaterasu in his eyes to prevent Madara from speaking to Sasuke to this. Madara complimented on his ability to think ahead but does he have any more tricks now that his little brother played right into his hand of going back to the village, becoming its hero, and now being told the truth of everything that has screwed over Sasuke's life?

The Uchiha teen looked away from the blonde when that thought came to mind. For a moment, Naruto thought he had him. He thought he brought Sasuke back into the light but some unknown thought plunge him back in. Naruto thought he said enough but maybe it wasn't. Now he really doesn't know what to say in the matter. He thought promising that something like this won't happen again, that swearing that another little boy isn't going to go through the same thing Sasuke endured, and then trying to say that Itachi wouldn't want Sasuke to go back to the hatred and the darkness. He thought that would be enough. That now Itachi wasn't the cruel patricidal criminal they all thought he was, Sasuke would respect his older brother's wishes. But maybe, the Uchiha just needs more time to think things over. He's been through enough for today and some alone time might do him some good. Naruto can only hope on that.

Removing the sutra he had on his chest, Naruto approaches Sasuke again but instead of offering it to him so he can hope that him taking it would mean he will consider going back to the village, he puts it on the ground before him and says, "We'll wait for you back at the house and I hope whatever you decide, it will make you the most happiest." Then looking at the Uchiha's face, the determination is back. "But if you decide to go, then I will still keep my promise and bring you back kicking and screaming if I have to. This maybe selfish of me, but I am not giving up on you, Sasuke. You're still my friend, no matter what." _'Even if you __**do**__ decide to destroy Konoha.'_

Then with that, Naruto gets up and walks away. He doesn't disappear or uses his ninja speed to go back, and he's not doing this for a more dramatic effect. He too wants time to think. He can only imagine that Sakura is telling everyone back at the house what she learned along with why the two guys aren't with her. So at the moment, Naruto wants to recover the huge shock he got learning about the dark side of his precious village.

Down at the ground where the sutra is, Sasuke picks it up and brings it close for a better look. Not that he doesn't have the image already memorized in his brain. He created it, after all. It's just he's weighting his options of going back to the village or not. Here he is, out in the open, free to go running off back to Madara if he wanted to. But is that the right choice for him to make? Turning around, Sasuke looks back at the grave and the angst is building up inside of him again.

Before returning to the village, the very name of his brother made his blood boil, the images of his past memories made him frustrated when he returned but they made him broke down crying in the end, and after that vision of his time with the thirteen-year old version of his brother, Sasuke felt like his own life, not lead by darkness, was truly going to start over. He was going to turn a new leaf, but this is more than just being upset that he'd been feeling hatred towards the wrong culprit. It's the fact that everything had been set up. Itachi made him seek his death by making him feel nothing but hatred and yearn for power and he made him become Konoha's hero right when they decided to eliminate the Uchiha clan for the suspicion of treachery. His entire life had been nothing but a set up with his brother as the author. Never mind that it's his life and he should make his own decisions. Everything was staged. Nothing was real.

It begins to rain. It started as with a few drops and then it started to pour. All of it came pouring down. The light of the night sky no longer there but the lights of the village still brightly shining through. Sasuke has no shelter from this raining. The there are no trees growing close enough hover their branches over him and there are no branches that extend far enough to do instead. Both him and the headstone are being soaked with heaven's tears; as if the very universe is crying for him. Crying for his pain and the fact that he's been played as if he were nothing more than a puppet of a puppet master.

And yet, Sasuke does not feel hatred or anger towards for his brother anymore. He does feel frustrated and he has so many questions he wants to ask Itachi, but he's dead and they can't be answered. He's so frustrated he wants to scream. Scream and punch the headstone, and hope his brother can feel it in the afterlife. But then what? All of that would be useless. Once all of that frustration comes flowing out, what else is there left? What would Sasuke have left to feel?

"You're a manipulative bastard, you know that?"

Maybe he'll find out.

"I told you I could see through your genjutsus but behind that stoic mask of yours, you were laughing at me, weren't you? Because I was ignorant of the truth and I've done everything you knew I would do. You wrote the script and I followed it – even when I didn't know it. You wrote my entire life out for me and you think dying is going to get you out of trouble. DAMN YOU, ITACHI!"

_Boom_

With his rage, thunder and lightning break out. Now it's as if the sky is expressing everything the teenager feels. Like an awesome power he has going out of control because he can no longer control his emotions. The lightning and thunder are his outbursts and rage but the rain represents his sadness and his betrayal.

He re-grips the grass by the headstone again and the rain drip down his from his chin as he grumbles, "I should have died. I knew all along that I should have died with our parents…with our clan…but instead I have to live in this feeble existence because you couldn't bear living with the burden our clan's murder on your shoulders and you wanted an Uchiha to relieve you of that. I had to live for nine years knowing just that and accepting that. I became nothing but an avenger because I accepted that! Now I find out that your burden was heavier than that? That you carried the clan's discrimination and discord? HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO ACCEPT THAT NOW?"

_Boom, crackle_

The thunder and lightning break out again and Sasuke lifts his head up from the ground. But with his head up, it is revealed that the rain falling from his chin isn't just rain. It's tears escaping from his eyes. Tears of aggravation and tears of his sorrow again. Now that he's expressing what's building up inside of him, he begins to feel what's being left behind in his heart. He's feeling that loss again. That mourning loss because his brother, the one he loved so much, truly was alive. The murderer didn't kill him and replace him. It was just an act to make the boy think that. Now that he sits there in front of the grave with that knowledge, memories of his brother come flowing back again.

Memories of their precious time together…memories of all the times Itachi poked him in the forehead…and memories of Itachi's smile.

Even that day when he died. That memory comes back. Sasuke had try to block it out because it made no sense to the image he had of Uchiha Itachi. But now, how can he block it out. Now the last words he said in Sasuke's vision wasn't something the boy wanted him to say. He really said them. With his blood fingertips pressed against Sasuke's forehead, his blind eyes closed, and his lips with blood dripped from the sides curled up in a well-missed smile, he said those words.

"_**Forgive me, Sasuke. There won't be a next time."**_

They weren't a feeble vision. They were real. They were real…

"Nii-san…"

Sasuke reaches for the grave and he lays on the corner of the headstone. Gripping the edge and leaning as close against it as he can with the tears continuously rolling down his face, it's as if he's leaning against his brother's chest, begging for his arms that always gave him comfort and warmth when he wanted it. But there are no arms to hold him. Just him and the cold night air with the pouring droplets of rain.

"I never want your guidance of what I should do now with my life, but what am I supposed to do now? If I remain in this village, that is still playing right into your hands and I would still be nothing but a puppet. But I don't want to leave the village. I don't want to lose the mended bonds I thought I'd severed years ago. How do you expect me to live now that I don't have a purpose without feeling like I'm being used anymore? WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?"

The thunder and the lightning do not roar. Instead, the rain just falls and ever so lightly they no longer feel as heavy as they did before.

"…damn it…what am I supposed to do now…?"

But before he could find the answer to that question, he senses something. His body twitches for a moment before lifting himself up and turning around to look deep into the forest beyond the hidden dirt trail back down. He may not be a sensory type like Karin but he can tell in the middle of the storm when he is no longer the only living thing within fifty-yards of where he is. The presence he can feel, there are several. Only four of them are threatening while only one is running away from them. The four threatening presence are not human. That he can tell instantly. Animals it feels like. Canine…wolves possibly. Maybe it's a pack of starving animals chasing its prey, but the presence of the prey is not animal. It's human and it feels strangely ominous but at the same time, pure and familiar.

Of all the times for something to appear, it has to be now. But if a human is being pursued by wolves, can Sasuke really just sit here and cry his eyes out while something else happens. He feels no other presence to help this human so he stands up and he continues to stare at the forest a little longer to feel the four wolves and the abnormal human running in his direction. Or at least towards this area. Normally with his sharp eye sight, Sasuke could easily see through that forest of trees to see them. But with the heavy rain and his lack of energy, it'll be difficult to view a better look on them. However, one thing is for sure.

The human those wolves are chasing is terrified and is running fast to get away.

…

…

Inside that forest, there is a human that is doing just that. From the sound of that human's panting and the form of the body, it's a child. The child looks over the shoulder for a moment and those large wolves are getting closer with drooling mouths, baring teeth, starving eyes, and boney bodies with the ribs visible for all to see. These animals have yet to eaten for over a weak and a young defensive child that can only run to save this young life from the ravage beasts, the child is an easy prey.

Because the attention was completely placed elsewhere, the child doesn't see the root sticking out from the ground. The foot becomes caught and the child falls to the mud, pain throbbing from the ankle and the upper chest when the child landed. Instead of just lying there for the long moment of pain, the child quickly lifts up from the ground and looks to already see the wolves ready to pounce on her and devour her flesh and bone. For one second, something pulses within her body and it wasn't fear. She quickly grasps her chest and winces for a moment from a different, more sharper pain. Knowing that the wolves are coming closer and closer, the little girl raises her arms to shield her face and closes her eyes shut, ready for those fangs to kill her.

"Papa…"

_Slash_

Hearing a sword cutting flesh, the little girl opens one eye to see and to her shock, she sees all four wolves getting sliced, not deep enough to kill them but deep enough to draw blood. Both her eyes widen as she watches those four wolves getting thrown back from the hit and landing on the ground with several thumps, whines, and whimpers.

_Step_

Hearing someone walking towards her from behind, the little girl turns her attention from the wolves to the one who saved her. Who she sees walking towards her and the wounded animals is Sasuke with his sword in hand and an impassive look on her face. When she looks at his face, her eyes widen even more to the point her eyes could roll out of her sockets. Acting like he doesn't see that expression, and still unable to see her face, Sasuke asks the child, "Are you alright?" The girl says nothing. She can only stare at him.

_Whine_

The cry of pain distracts them from each other and pulls them back to the wolves. One of them is already standing up with shaky limbs as another one is in the midst of doing that while the last two are too weak to get up. Sasuke this time glares at the four staving animals and only one word leaves his mouth. "Leave." From the harshness of his glare and the seriousness in his voice, three of the wolves winces and whines with their ears pressed against their heads and tail between their legs; like dogs getting scolded by their master. The other one on the other hand, the one fully standing, glares back and bares his teeth ferociously at the chidori user. He must be the alpha of the group.

"Wait!"

Then the attention is turned to the little girl. She stands up, stumbles a bit from her now twisted ankle but stays her ground, and she goes to the inside of her coat. Sasuke eyes the child for a moment, curiously. How can this little girl not be scared out of her mind from nearly being devoured by famished wolves and why did she ask them to wait? Was she not scared of these animals earlier?

After rummaging through her coat, she takes out four dead rabbits and offers it to the wolves. "You wanted this, right?" Then she starts walking towards those very same animals. For a second, Sasuke thought that this child is crazy but he stands there watching in case of any attack as the girl first tosses one each to the two still lying on the ground, one to the crouching one since it backed down due to Sasuke, and she hands the last one personally to the alpha male. She smiles at him and says, "It's alright. You can take it."

The wolf appeared untrusting at first but slowly and cautiously, he takes the rabbit from her hands into his jaws. As soon as he has a grip on the dead rabbit, the girl gets closer and places her hands on the wolf's gash. From her sudden approach, Sasuke really became confused and startled by this child as the wolf first jolted and then whine from her hands on his wound.

"I'm sorry," the little girl apologizes, with complete sincerity and sympathy. Both the alpha and Sasuke look really confused by her now. What is she sorry for? With a certain softness in her voice and kindness, the little girl tells the wolf, "Eat the rabbit and become strong again, alright? And don't try to eat little kids next time, okay?" Then her hand rises up to the wolf's forehead and with the back of her fingers, she knocks it. Seeing that really makes the wolf confused and it shocks Sasuke.

Did she just…tap a wolf's forehead?

With her task done, the child takes steps back away from the pack and waves to them all. "Take care now." All four wolves continue to stare at this child strangely but with this dangerous human behind her and food in their mouths, what reason do they have to stay here? So they tunr around and un back into the dead of the forests, more likely to devour the rabbits they have been given. As for the little girl, she turns around to her savior and Sasuke may still not see her very well due to the complete darkness around them, but he can tell that she's nervous as she sheepishly says, "Thank you for saving me."

This child…is a strange one. What is a child doing out here at this time of day? And hunting possibly?

"What are you doing out here getting, chased by wolves?" Sasuke asks.

He hears the girl flinch at the sharpness of her words but responds none the less. "I was searching for food because I ran out. I was out for several days so I tried hunting. But I ran into those wolves and I guess the smell of the dead rabbits I caught attracted them and they chased me."

"If you knew what they wanted, why didn't you hand them the rabbits from the beginning instead of wasting my time? I have better things to do than rescue idiotic children."

Sure, crying over your dead brother's grave while asking hundred of questions was **not** a waste of your time. It was more effective than saving a child's life.

Seeing that he is no longer needed here, Sasuke turns sharply around and he heads back to whence he came. He still hasn't decided on what to do now, rather to go back to Konoha or going to Madara. But when he did that, the little girl felt panic in her guts and she did the first thing that came to her. She ran up to her savior and hug his leg due to her height.

"Papa, wait!"

Her words stop the Uchiha dead in his tracks in shock.

Papa? Did she just call him…

That name stops Sasuke from continuing any further and it gives the little girl the chance to tighten her hold on him before saying, "I'm sorry, papa, for making you worry. I am grateful that you saved me again. I'll be careful next time. I promise. Just please don't be mad. I haven't seen you in so long. I was worried when you left like that."

Hold on! Sasuke is no child's papa. He's sixteen years old and he never did anything to end up having child. So then who…

"Papa?"

When he questions the name, the little girl becomes surprise. Her arms are still around his leg but she looks up at the man who she thought is her papa but by then conveniently, lightning breaks into the night sky again. Maybe as one more feeble attempt for this short-lasting storm or maybe the fates wanted to reveal their faces to each other. Whatever the reason, it doesn't change the fact that the two of them saw what the other looks like and it caused both eyes to stare widely at each other and for the little girl to release this man.

"You're not my papa…"

It was only one moment but it was enough. The little girl saw what this man really looks like and Sasuke sees what this little girl whom he saves looks and reminds him of. She looks to be around the age of five or six with her short limbs, small body, small round face, and her big doll like eyes. She's wearing a hooded cloak that's unzippered so he saw the maroon color of her clothes underneath. Her damp hair is waist length and tied into a loose braid with layered bangs framing her face and partially covering her forehead; and no matter how muddy she may have gotten, it didn't distract Sasuke from seeing the color of her hair. A dark brown that looked almost red in the light. Her skin also looked pale – like from her early years, she never made contact with the sun. But was some bit of color. However, his skin tone looks the same as hers. Finally, her eyes, the one feature of her that stood out to him the most, the color of her eyes are crimson red. Almost Sharingan red but they are no distinct features to show that her eyes are that of the Sharingan. Still, her eyes, her hair, and some other facial features, Sasuke couldn't believe it but his eyes have never deceived him from something as what could be plainly seen right before him.

"Who…is your papa?" Sasuke couldn't help it. He had to ask because the very idea or flicker of possibility is completely impossible for him to believe so easily. He needs to hear it from the horse's mouth.

However, the child takes more steps away from him. The Uchiha teenager wanted to stick his hand out and promise her no harm when she did that. He simply wants answers from her but his shock is still preventing him from moving.

The child walks far away enough till her back hit a tree. Grasping onto it as her support, her voice sounds in disbelief and scared when she spoke again. Her eyes are probably wide in the same way but Sasuke still can't see that now that she's further in the darkness.

"Y-You…You-re Uchiha Sasuke…"

This child knows him! Then she surely…

Without anther said between them, the child turns around and runs. Sasuke hears her rushing footsteps and he tries to call, "Wait!" But she doesn't stop and he does not go after her. If she is who he thinks she is, then he has no right to go after her. He doesn't chase after her and he is now left with his incredulity and confusion.

Even if what he thinks is real, how could it be?

She's too old so how could Itachi have had a child?

* * *

><p><strong>Okay for those who are not happy with this little twist that I've put here, I just have one thing to say here. I added this OC because if I rewrite exactly what Kishimoto has already done, then this wouldn't entirely be my story now would it? Plus, it would start to get boring. Yes, I have rewritten some time things such as it's been a month since Naruto return to the village after retrieving Sasuke from that destroyed Uchiha hideout and I moved Madara's story telling time to after Pein destroys Konoha. But then what? Some of those things are just moving Kishimoto's events around. Only I added Sasuke to them and wrote how he changed from the avenger to a person again. I need to spice up with my story. Plus, I told some people that there was going to be someone else who comes into Sasuke's life who takes his attention and love away from Sakura, for as long as I can. Also, I had this idea since I saw 2011's Naruto OVA and it ended with a baby crying, and even longer before then. I don't know if that baby crying is Asuma's child or maybe an Uchiha baby since it was wailing after a series of Sharingans and Mangekyos. So this is my idea trying out and this is fanfiction! I'm allowed to have things like this.<strong>

**Also no worries. The child looks five and six years so in order for Itachi to even have this child, he would have been fifteen or sixteen to conceive her with a woman. You guys really thing Itachi would do something like that? So the origin of this child will be revealed soon but not too soon. I got other stuff planned before that little secret comes out.**

**In the mean time, how was this chapter? Bad? Good? Let me know. You can even tell me your feelings about adding this OC character but I will not change! Till next time, my dears!**


	18. The Mysterious Child

**A/N: Hey guys! Okay, I kind of don't want to say anything, sorry. But that's because I just read the latest Naruto chapter and I seriously want to CRY IN MY ROOM FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE! I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING ELSE BUT CRY CRY CRY! WAAHHHH, ITACHI! SASUKE!**

**I don't OWN ANY OF THE Naruto characters or the story itself. I kind of wish I did because the last chapter was too fricken sad but what can I do? I honestly don't think I did this chapter any justice but it's what's planned and I ain't going to change it. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews and support, especially to my OC. I know some of you are wishing that this isn't Itachi's child but her real story will come soon. Just be patient with me, please! Thank you and enjoy!**

**-cry in the corner-**

* * *

><p>Ch. 17: The Mysterious Child<p>

"Who…is your papa?"

She couldn't believe it. The instant she saw that man, she knew who he was. His black hair, his dark eyes, his pale skin, his facial structure…they all remind her of _him_. Even his voice. That's why she mistook him for her actual papa. But this man isn't him. He's…

The child took many steps back, as much as she could to stay away. She was told not to fear him but seeing him, here, so close to the village, it only meant one thing. And that one thing terrified her and instantly made her body, mind, and soul cry in denial. She didn't want to believe. She didn't want to believe the reason why Uchiha Sasuke is here in Konoha.

"Y- You…You-re Uchiha Sasuke…"

Before, she only saw a slight image of what he looked like and that was why she misunderstood who he really was. But him, more in the light than she is right now up against a tree in the forest, she can see the surprise in his eyes and she knew right then that he knows who her papa is. The only thing that came to her mind at that exact moment was run. Leave, because she couldn't bear this any longer.

"Wait!" He called for her but he didn't follow. He allowed her to run and run she did.

The little girl kept running. She had no destination in mind. She just wanted to get away.

'_It's him!'_ she declared in her mind after several minutes pass of just mindless running. The image of that man when the lightning struck is still in her mind. She was told about him and even though she never saw his face before, the resemblance is too incredible to deny. If she couldn't tell differently, she would say they look like twins.

Due to the child's hysterical running, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. She trips over a root in no time and she skids in the mud. But she doesn't get up right away. She doesn't have the will to get up and run. Sasuke isn't chasing her so she can stay exactly where she is; in the mud and under the rain. There she starts letting the tears roll out of her eyes.

'_Then…papa is…papa is…!'_

A flash of her papa's face appears in her mind; the last time she saw him. He smiled at her that day. He never smiled before. His face was always blank with emotion but his touch was always tender and kind. Then he smiled. Out of nowhere, he smiled at her and instead of feeling all of the love he probably had for her, the child only felt dread and uneasiness. But she pushed it away when it happened for the sake of the moment. She ignored it and she always had the feeling that she should have kept her papa with her instead of letting him go that day or even ask him why he smiled.

Now she knows why.

"…papa…"

She knows she can never see him again.

Never see his blank eyes that held back emotion that raged to be free from within.

Never hear his stern but tender voice.

Never feel his cold but warm touch.

Never hear him call the name he had given her long ago.

'_Amaya…'_

With tears endlessly falling from his eyes like the rain above her, her bottom lip trembling, the cold no longer affecting her small trembling body, she couldn't hold back her cry any longer.

"WAAAAHHHH! PAPA!"

If only the rain had fallen harder and the thunder booming throughout the night, no one would have heard her and two dark shadows wouldn't have approached her.

"You, girl!"

The child heard that even when her sobs continued to cry and cry. She stopped her sobbing suddenly and she looked up to see two grown-ups with similar white and black uniforms and just barely different masks hiding their faces. She gasped when she saw them. Not because she knew what they are but just the fact that the two of them are tall, dark strangers. She suddenly felt fear and that is not a good combination to her already stressing body.

"What are you doing out here at this time of night out of the village," the one with a bird looking mask asks.

The child didn't respond. She only got up and tried to get away but her ankle prevents her too. She ended up falling right back on her butt and trembling up against a tree.

"Hey, it's alright," the other said. "We only want to know why you're out here at this time of night. It's not safe for you here."

But the child isn't trembling because of fear when that masked shinobi took a step towards her.

"Don't come near me!" she snaps. She's trembling because of something else.

She can feel it. She can feel it coming!

The ANBU was startled when the child made that outburst. He was trying to go for a gentle approach since they did after all hear this little girl crying for her papa. Something must have happened for the two of them to be separated. Did she get lost or did something terrible happen to him?

However while the nice ANBU is looking at the child in concern, the other notices something. There may be nothing but darkness so deep in the woods but the ANBU are trained to have excellent night vision so now that the child's face is completely exposed to them, he sees her facial features and instantly recognizes the similarities between her and someone else.

"This girl…she looks like Uchiha Itachi!"

Both the girl and the other ANBU gasp when they heard that but the child, something inside of her snaps.

Without warning, the bird ANBU grabs the girl's arm and roughly pulls her up. "You're coming with us back to the village."

She cries in pain, "Ah!"

The other ANBU tried to tell his partner, "That's too rough."

"The Uchihas at this point and enemies to the village. Lord Danzo would need to see this child once he returns from the Kage meeting."

The child struggles against the tight hold on her. "No, please…let me go…I..I don't want to…"

But for her it becomes too late. Her naturally red eyes turn gold and her pupils become skinny and vertical.

…

…

"You cannot be serious!" Karin exclaims.

Sasuke just tells her, "I am completely serious."

The red-head cannot believe this. Here they are, in Sasuke's home in Konoha, resting their wounds, and while the Uchiha is looking out the window while still staying hidden from any ANBU Black Ops, he tells Karin that they are not leaving the village when she told Suigetsu that they were going to leave back for the Akatsuki as soon as they were healed. Now Suigetsu is snickering behind the flabbergasted Karin while Juugo is sipping his tea. He feels completely at peace here for some reason. He hasn't gotten a single murderous impulse or anything since he's been here, and it's only his second day.

"But…But…" Trying to regain her composure, Karin reminds, "Madara told you the truth of what this village did to your brother and you're still just going to stay here and protect it while they're trying to capture you as we speak?"

"And whose fault is that, I wonder." Karin snaps her mouth shut when Sasuke says that, as well as Suigetsu stops snickering and Juugo stops sipping tea.

Yes, it's their fault Sasuke is now being hunted down by the Hokage's black ops but that's also due to that cautious self-righteous man known as Danzo. They're all practically trapped here in this village and they're hiding out in the most obvious spot but those black ops don't even know that they're here, or that Team Hebi is still alive. To try and make it look more convincing, Sakura went back to her medical duties to help those who gained work injuries or collapsed from fatigue. People like Yamato who's still making buildings with his wood technique. Naruto is also helping with construction and anything else he can do that'll keep him away from the house with Sai following him since he's still ordered by Danzo to watch him. The only one watching Team Hebi and Sasuke to make sure they don't do anything stupid and to protect them is Kakashi. Normally he would help but if anyone asks, he'll say he's still resting his wounds as his excuse. Team Hebi may not make a break for it since they refuse to leave without Sasuke but if something were to happen, like the ANBU do find them, who's going to help them when they have fresher wounds. For now, the four of them are in the living room in the center of the house with sutras in the wound to help hide their chakra better and they are not to leave the room. The window Sasuke is looking out, it's a big deliberate hole in the wall that has a view of the garden, several doors and a room away.

Though while he's staring out that window, there are a lot of things on his mind. After what happened last night, he used the teleportation sutra to return to inside Konoha's walls and into his home. Everyone practically stayed up waiting for him; rather it was because Naruto had just arrived and explained that he left the Uchiha alone with his thoughts at his brother's grave, or because they were all so anxious to Sasuke's decision they couldn't sleep. You can just imagine the relieve faces on Naruto's and Sakura's faces when they saw him. Kakashi and Yamato looked relieved as well but not as overdramatic as some people. Sai just smiled while Karin grumbled, Suigetsu snickered, and Juugo smiled as well at the truly happy faces on the blonde's and pink-head's faces. Though coming back here, it means to Sasuke that he's playing the role as Konoha's hero; the role assigned to him by his brother. But he came back for another reason. It was because he wanted he met that girl. She hasn't left his mind at all since that night.

So thinking things through, if Sasuke goes to Madara, he might not be able to see her again. Since Itachi is now classified as a cautious thinker, he more than likely didn't tell Madara about her. There is obviously no trust between them even if Madara helped Itachi eliminate the clan. Itachi wouldn't tell Madara about a child that could very well, as impossible as it still is, be his daughter. So coming back to the village, Sasuke has a higher chance of seeing that child again. He has so many questions for her and she is all that the Uchiha has left of his brother.

If this is another role given to him from Itachi from beyond the grave, then fine. Sasuke will play along. Only because he doesn't want some random person getting their hands on a lost, unprotected Uchiha child.

…

…

Just outside the village walls, there are a couple of ANBU at the spot two other ANBUs used to be; along with a child they found last night. These two ANBUs have also a ninja dog with them and are then soon joined by another moments later. Before the third ANBU arrived, these two plus the dog were investigating.

"What is the emergency?" the recently arrived cat-masked ANBU asks.

Another ANBU with a bird-looking mask responds, "Two ANBUs were murdered last night."

"Murdered?"

"Yes," responds the monkey-looking mask ANBU. "It rained so some of the ashes have been washed away but without a doubt, Senji says he can still smell some of their blood on the trees and grass. By the amount spilled before it was washed away, they were more likely ripped apart."

The news of this sounds frightful enough. ANBUs from the leaf are strong so to hear that someone ripped them apart, TWO of them, it's almost sounds inhuman.

"Do we know who the culprit is?"

The dog, Senji, raises his head up from the ground and he responds, "It's a scent I have never smelled before but it has a few traces that are familiar in some sense. Like an offspring of scents that I know."

The bird ANBU asks, "Who do the scents belong to, Senji?"

"You're not going to like it but the scent smells sixty-seven percent Uchiha."

Nope, none of the ANBUs were pleased to hear this.

"Uchiha?" the monkey questions.

The cat thinks aloud, "Lord Danzo may have claimed Uchiha Sasuke as an enemy of the village but he is one-hundred percent Uchiha. To be sixty-seven at least, the parents of this culprit must have been a full-Uchiha and an Uchiha-half breed."

"It gets better," Senji warns them before going back to the ground. As his nose sniffs the ground, his wet cold nose finds a strand of hair. A long dark red strand of hair. He sniffs it a little longer and judging by the stern, calculating look on his face, he's not liking this anymore but there is no denying what his nose has discovered. "To have ripped two ANBUs apart would have been admirable in a sense of this person being strong. However, the culprit behind this crime is female and could have been no older than the age of six."

The person behind this crime is human and is a CHILD?

…

…

At the Konha wall on the same side of the village as Sasuke's home, something moves through the wall. First it was a few fingers, than hands and a foot, arms and a leg, and then a body with a head with the other leg coming in from behind. A person walks right through the Konoha walls. A girl with waist length, braided, dark brown-redish looking hair, snow white skin, and crimson red doll-like eyes. Now that she's in the light, it would be easy to see that under her hooded robe, there is a maroon color outfit that looks like knee length leggings, and a shirt over it with a bare round collar. Wrapped around her waist is a black slash. She's bear foot and even though she bears such a great resemblance to the child Sasuke saw last night, this girl looks older. Much older; a decade at least. Her legs appear long and skinny and her arms are probably the same but cannot be determined so easily under her robe. Her waist is skinny and her bust is not big but it's not small either. It's right in between.

"Okay, operation 'get in' success," she says to herself after looking around and up at the wall to be certain no one saw her come in.

Before her she sees a house, it appears empty at the moment but the window is clean so she could see her reflection. Walking up to the window, she makes sure she looks decent. Her clothes look good, her hair is neat, she's clean, and her body looks perfect. However taking a closer look at her eyes, she has slight coloring under them and her eyes are still swollen. She notices that but she doesn't worry. Instead, a sad smile in remembrance of why her eyes are like this appears on her face and she admits, "Can't do anything about this now can I?"

Other than the eyes, she looks perfect. If anyone sees her, she can still maneuver through village without a hitch. _'Just remain calm and try to act normal,'_ she thinks to herself. _'Be courteous, do not be rude, stay in control, and do not start something you don't want to finish or can finish. You need to do this. At the moment, Sasuke is all you have.'_

With those thoughts in her head, she turns away from the house and starts walking with a determined look on her face. She knows where she needs to go and now she just needs to get there and get in without causing any kind of problem at all.

Only in her prayers can she believe it will be that simple.

It didn't take her too long to find the house she was looking for. The big, grand looking house was only two houses away from where she were. As soon as she saw it, her heart started to pound faster and harder than it did before. She was nervous about coming to the village and now she's panicking if she really does look presentable to be here. But she has to do this! She already made up her mind and with one more thought of encouragement to herself, she approaches Sasuke's home and knocks on the front door.

_Knock, knock_

Several minutes later, the door opens and reveals to the teenage looking girl a man with spiky silver hair, a half-masked face, and a shinobi outfit with long black pants and a green vest. When Kakashi saw the girl, she's looking rather nervous and a little uncollective at the moment. Her anxiety was bubbling up in her gut the longer she had to wait. She was really worrying if anyone was here, she didn't already sense the presence of people living inside. The ONLY people living at this side of the village. The girl was tangling her fingers around end of her shirt when he opened the door. Now that he's here, she hastily tries to stop that tangling and now she's trying to make sure that she's looking her best before him but her nerves are failing her miserable. Kakashi doesn't care about that at the moment. He noticed her fidgeting but he notices something else a lot more.

Still he smiles to be friendly, which just looks like his one eye turning into an upside down U, and his voice sounds courteous when he asks, "Can I help you?"

"Y-Yes," she replies. Giving up on trying to give a good first impression, the girl takes a deep mental breathe and tells him, "I-I came to visit Uchiha Sasuke. The last time we met wasn't exactly a good first greeting and I want to make up for it. He's wounded so I thought maybe I should come to see how he's doing." As best as she could.

Kakahi's finger twitches when he heard that but he does not let his act slip to this young girl before him. Surely one of the village girls who Sasuke has easily captured the heart of with his dashing good looks and his lonely, distant-looking charm. Best not to jump to conclusions just yet.

"You're very kind to have come all this way but I'm afraid Sasuke is not here at the moment. His wounds from the Pein Attack have healed considerably so he doesn't want to stay in the house too long." But his real thoughts are, _'I thought the villagers were notified that Sasuke was no longer in the village. Danzo claiming that he deliberately abandoned the village for higher power. It's a blessing that we are not the only ones in the village who believe that Danzo should not have the Hokage seat and that Sasuke would never do such a thing, but still…'_

Hearing Kakashi's words confuse the girl a bit. "I wasn't talking about those wounds. Didn't he obtain fresher wounds last night?" And the second she asked that, Kakashi's aura changed drastically.

One second the girl was outside the door and the next, she's inside the house because of a rough strong pull on her arm, her back is up against the closed door, a kunai knife is now at her throat, and the girl is staring directly into the frightening, accusing eye of a serious, protective Hatake shinobi. Fear pierces instantly into her heart and all she can do is stand there on the border of life and death.

"Who are you? Do you work for Danzo?" Kakashi asks, coldly.

The girl's body shakes and to any normal person, the girl looks utterly scared and clueless to what Kakashi is talking about; the 'working for Danzo' part. But Kakashi assumes instead that this girl is a very trained Black Op who uses her innocent sweet looks to get the information she needs. However, admitting that she knows about Sasuke's new wounds was not a smart move a professional ANBU would make.

The girl is trembling under the blade and her eyes are full of fear and panic but looking closely, strange enough her eyes are not full of fear and panic for the fact that she could very well die here if she doesn't prove her innocence. They're full of fear and panic for something else. Something…much more dangerous.

"P-Please…" she whimpers. "Don't make me do it again."

Do what again?

"Kakashi!"

Both middle age man and the teenage girl look over Kakashi's shoulder and there stands Sasuke out of the living room and with his team not too far away, watching. The Uchiha has serious eyes himself when he looks at his old team teacher and he tells him just the same, "You may release her. She means no harm to us." If given the chance, Kakashi would have either asked Sasuke what he meant that she means them no harm or he would have ordered him to go back to the living room incase he really has to do something to this girl he wouldn't be pleased about doing. But the Uchiha turns his attention to the girl and his eyes look gentler when he looks at her. "Are you alright?" Even his voice has changed just as much. That is what silence and startles Kakashi.

Watching from the back-ground, Juugo is blinking at the scene, Suigetsu raises a brow, and Karin completely tenses up and looks really taken back that Sasuke is talking nice to this girl. What the hell? He's never talked to her like that!

The girl didn't answer. She would have nodded but she's not alright. She still has a knife up against on her neck. She looks back at Kakashi and the spiky silver hair man looks at his student with caution when he asks, "Do you know this girl?"

"We met only last night and just as she said, our first meeting wasn't a pleasant one," he replies.

'_WHAT?'_ Karin screams in her head. _'Sasuke met this wench last night?'_

"However when I saw her, she was much younger than how she appears now." Huh? "Kakashi, please remove your weapon."

He doesn't want to but Sasuke is an adult and if he's sure, then so be it. Kakashi removes his kunai knife and the second he does, the girl slides down the door and collapses to her knees; panting and gasping as if she was actually being choked by that knife, and her hand grasps the area right over her heart. Maybe this girl really isn't an ANBU Black Op, but she doesn't look normal either.

Several moments later, she finishes calming down. The girl takes in a few more deep breathes again before looking back up at Sasuke. Then she bows down till her forehead touches the ground and she says, "I'm so very sorry for the intrusion and I'm sorry for my rudeness yesterday. You saved me from wolves and it must have difficult for you by the wounds you possessed. And I repay you by running away. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

Yep. She is definitely not a member of the ANBU. Saved by wolves? She seems polite and well-mannered, that's a pleasant thing but it's probably a more relief thing to know that she's not a threat.

"Your form doesn't appear to be genjutsu." The girl looks back up at the Uchiha and all eyes are on him actually when he adds, "But neither was the form you had last night. What is your real form?"

Real form?

Hearing that, the girl looks to the side in guilt for a moment but she's makes her decision. She stands up and with her eyes closed, her entire body glows red and then blue as her body shrinks and reverses in time. All but Sasuke's eyes widen as they watch this sixteen-year old looking girl change into nothing more than a six year old child right before their eyes. Her hair and her clothes adjust to her new body with the hair still being waist length and her clothes adjusting to size but instead of legging-looking pants, they look long and a little baggy. But till overall, she doesn't need children clothes to keep her covered and her hair isn't so long that she needs to cut it. Her body still glows blue for a moment more before reopening her eyes that now appear huge on her little round face. She went from beautifully attractive to as-cute-as-a-button adorable in a matter of seconds.

Seeing her, Karin no longer hates her as a love-threat. She instead wants to take that little girl and cuddle it in her arms like a little plushy doll.

The girl tells them all, "This is my true form. I just have the ability to change how old I want to look. I tried to appear older so I could go through the village without any suspicion incase anyone saw me. Plus, it would have looked weird for a child to appear on your door step."

Karin almost couldn't take it. Those big eyes, that sweet little voice, and that uncomfortable look on her face, it pulls on her heart strings. She truly does want to cuddle that little girl to death.

Sasuke asks her, "You came seeking me, why?"

"Because I had to. I wanted to apologize for just running like that when I mistook you for my papa. It was dark and I hadn't eaten for days. My eye-sight wasn't as clear as it would be at night."

It probably also didn't help that it was storming last night so she had no other light in the darkness. How did she manage to survive the night in that condition?

"You haven't eaten in days?" That wasn't Sasuke.

In less than a blink of an eye, Karin goes up to the little girl and picks her up. The girl looks started when this strange woman just did that and the others, including Sasuke, they look shock or startled as well. Walking away with her, Karin coos, "You poor, poor child. How on earth could you have been living in such terrible condition? We have plenty of food enough to share. Come with your onee-chan and she'll fatten you right up."

Karin walks into the kitchen with that little girl and now the guys, Suigetsu mostly, are wondering if Karin has officially lost it. She didn't act like her macho self and she even told the little girl to call her 'onee-chan'. That is honestly not normal.

However in the kitchen, the little girl gasps suddenly.

"Wait!"

Karin was just about to ask her what was wrong, when she senses something coming to the house. Three of them and fast. She knows these chakras!

Darting back into the hallway, she announces, "Guys, we have company! Three ANBU's are coming here."

* * *

><p><strong>And I think I'll stop it there. So how was it? Bad? Good? Bleah? Let me know, okay? Till next time!<strong>


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